Arranged Marriage
by Reflection of a Broken Dream
Summary: A few years ago, Hinata's father, Hiashi, asked her to find a suitable suitor...or he'd find one for her. She had until her twenty-third birthday to find one...but she didn't even try. Her birthday was in winter and it's spring now...with no word from him. ...Until now. Has he lost his mind! Has Shibi! Will things ever be the same between Hinata and Shino ever again?
1. A Mission's Return anda Feeling of Dread

**Arranged Marriage**

**Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream**

**Pairing: Shino x Hinata from Naruto**

**A Quick Note**: Alright, guys, this is my first (well second, if you want to get technical) fanfic that I've posted online. (I literally have over two hundred and fifty on my laptop alone, though most are bogus and no good...I keep revising, though... I have an obsession, I think. Eheh...?) Well...I hope ya'll like it, it's one of my best to date! I don't plan on running from this one, so if you don't like my pairing, please don't read. (It's Shino x Hinata, one of my absolute favorites!) _**NO FLAMING, PLEASE**_. Constructive criticism is _always _welcomed, though. I like to improve. ^.^

- It is going to come up in chapters, and I can't get on often to update, so please don't get too angry with me for it. I _have _already created a few chapters to post, so I hope it sates those who like this story for a while. (Believe me, though, I'll update as soon as I possibly can. I know how much it sucks to love a story only to be crushed by the waiting period between chapters...or to realize it hasn't been worked on in years. I won't do that to you guys, if I can help it. I should be able to continue so long as I'm alive, and I will for as long as I can. ^.^ )

- I tried to make them all in-character (IC) as best I could, so please forgive me if I mess up somewhere. (Obviously there _will _be some out-of-character (OOC) stuff as time progresses in the story and Hinata and Shino will have to come to love one another...but I'll try not to stray _too _much.) I _am _trying my best.

- Also! I _have _seen all of Naruto, and a little of Shippuden...but not much. (**!SPOILER! **Enough to see Atsuma-sensei and Jiraiya-senin die...T-T ...I liked those characters...) This is placed after that, and I'm guessing what happens, making it my own. It wouldn't be a fanfiction if I didn't change _something _or another. XD

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto or any of the awesome characters, as much as I'd love to...but I _do _own this storyline! Yay me! ,

**Arranged Marriage**

**Chapter 1 - Prolouge - A Mission's Return and a Feeling of Dread**

Hinata sighed softly with a light smile as she, Kiba, and Shino rushed through the trees back to Konoha, the cool air nice on her skin, as her jacket was making her a little warm. The group was minus one giant white dog- Akamaru- because the dog needed his update on shots and Kiba had known the dog would be sore and irritable. He would be resting at his home when Kiba got back, they all knew, and he would still need a day or so to recover his full muscle strength.

Old group eight, minus Akamaru, had just successfully completed a B-rank mission. It wasn't too bad, really, and they didn't have any major injuries this time, just little cuts, scrapes, and bruises... Hinata was glad it was over.

She was glad _all _of the major bad events were over, honestly. It was much more peaceful now...and, though business as a ninja- kunoichi, in her case- was slow now, she was happy for it.

Orochimaru and the Akatsuki had been defeated and Sasuke had come back to the village to live. He was...how to put it...more settled now. Less 'cool guy' and more normal- he was actually nice towards others now. Most of the time, anyway. He was still a ninja, and was still off on missions, as _they _were, as well, tamed down as the missions had gotten. He had Naruto to thank for that, as Naruto was acting Hokage. _He's _the one that decided to give him a second chance, and it seemed to be a good decision so far...

Naruto...

Hinata sighed heavily to herself. Naruto had married Sakura nearly half a year ago now, when he had turned twenty-seven and became Hokage and Sakura had just turned twenty-three. They were already expecting their first child. It was kind of depressing for her, but she was steadily getting over Naruto, and she was genuinely happy for the two.

Hinata had just turned twenty three last November...it was spring time now...and her father had made it abundantly clear that he wanted _her _to marry and have her own children to further the clan. It didn't suprise her, but she wasn't really ready for that kind of thing (partly because she was only _just _getting over Naruto, _finally_). Hiashi had gone so far as to threaten arranged marriage if she hadn't gotten a husband, or at least a fiancee, by her twenty-third birthday. Naturally, she hadn't picked a husband or even tried to. She hadn't heard anything from her father since, but she had a _really _bad feeling about it... It was instinctual...and her instincts were usually right when it came to these kinds of things, unfortunately.

And it was because of _those _feelings that she delayed their return a little bit.

_Okay_...maybe she had purposely delayed them a _lot_...

"Pick up the pace, Hinata," Shino spoke in his deep monotone as he looked back at her, his stoic face ever-hidden behind both jackets. She could tell he was slightly aggrivated at her, though...that was a perk of being teammates so long- she could tell what his emotions were without even having to see most of his face or eyes.

"Yeah, Hinata," Kiba looked back. They were a couple of branches ahead of her. "What's _with _you? I _know _you're faster than _this_..." The man looked as worried as he was. Kiba _always _wore his heart on his sleeve...and Hinata found it endearing, though it got him into _tons _of trouble on a daily basis...mainly due to his short temper...

"Sorry Shino-kun, Kiba-kun," Hinata apologized softly with a light blush coloring her porcelain cheeks, her waist-length blue-black hair gently billowing behind her like a cape as they continued their route home through the treetops at her lazy pace. "I guess...I am...just...a _little _reluctant to return home..." She nibbled on her bottom lip nervously, out of habit, at the admission. (She had managed to stop stuttering and wringing her hands nervously all the time, but she was still biting on her bottom lip- the one habit she _couldn't _kick.)

"Huh? Why?," Kiba asked predictably in a disgruntled voice, his eyes widened in suprise. Hinata idly noticed that Shino's brows had furrowed, indicating his own form of confusion and slight worry.

"A-Ah...no reason," Hinata managed to reply a little more nervously with a small trademark smile. Kiba just nodded and seemed to accept her answer, though he _did _still look a little worried. She almost let out a sigh of relief...until Shino spoke up.

"If there was no reason, you wouldn't be lagging," Shino pointed out, making Hinata's smile faulter a little. _He _wasn't so easy to fool... Most times, she would be glad of that...but not at the moment.

"Umm...," Hinata hesitated, trying to think of a reason different from the truth, but close enough that the lie would go undetected, the young woman afraid that she might come off sounding silly.

"Are you hurt?," Kiba asked immediately after, Hinata feeling a sweatdrop forming on her brow. "Do you feel sick?" Now that Kiba was started up, it was going to be hard to get them to stop...

"I'm fine, Kiba-kun, I promise," Hinata replied reassuringly to the suddenly really worried-looking Inuzuka. "I am uninjured, besides bruises and cuts, and physically well."

"Then what's up?," Kiba asked, curiosity in his dark eyes as he blinked at her. "Is it Hiashi-baka again?" Hinata frowned lightly at that. He was always calling her father demeaning names behind his back, but he could never say a thing in front of the man, himself. Besides that, it always offended her a little that he did that...her father wasn't _nearly _as bad as he used to be. She wasn't punished so much anymore and he gave her sufficient freedoms. (The punishments had been extreme ninja training that had always left her _far _past exhausted. He used to punish her often with that for not wanting to become a kunoichi. She understood now that he had done that because he wanted her to become a suitable and strong heiress- it wasn't unfounded torture. An added bonus was that it strengthened her in case of attack on the clan, and there _had _been some in the past few years, to destroy them. What better way to destroy a clan than to take out the leader?) Yes, he still pushed her into things sometimes, the arranged marriage being a perfect example, but she could always see that he had good reasoning behind his actions. It wasn't as though he did things on a whim to see her suffer. He had the good of the clan in mind, and she could respect that...despite the fact that she _really _didn't want to be wed to some man that she might not know or love...

"It's nothing," Hinata found herself sighing again. It was so...uncharacteristic. _Both _men could figure _that _out. Something _was _wrong, but she _just _wasn't talking. "Please don't call my father that, Kiba-kun." Kiba and Shino shared a look before looking back at the distraught girl behind them. Hinata internally berated herself as she sighed again, looking up through the treetops, seeing the sun high overhead. It had to be about noon or so...

"We should stop for lunch," Shino spoke up, startling Hinata a little as she looked back at the two with a blink of her big white eyes. They slowed in their pace and started descending a few branches. Hinata was quick to match their pace and descended, as well, landing near to them as they finally stopped and landed on the ground near to a stream. "If we take a fifteen minute break, we should still return around three, if we keep a steady pace." Shino glanced back at her briefly and she felt a small twinge of guilt shoot through her, the girl averting her eyes from him quickly.

"Right," Kiba grinned with a nod before turning back to Hinata. "Give me your cantine and I'll fill it. Yours, too, Shino." Kiba nodded his head at the Aburame as Shino nodded back, pulling his cantine from its holster and giving it to him as Hinata did the same, handing hers to him.

"Thank you, Kiba-kun," Hinata managed a smile as he gave a bright grin back at her.

"No problem, Hina-chan!," he replied cheerfully, taking the two and starting over to the stream. "Just sit and rest. I'll have it back to you in a minute." Hinata nodded and sat on one of the two fallen trees in the clearing. She was quick to pull her pack from her back and search through for a couple of energy bars- she was going to need the energy. She couldn't lag any more, she already knew. Shino gave a small sound that sounded suspiciously like a soft sigh as he sat next to the slightly suprised Hinata. He had his own rations out, the man un-buttoning his jacket some and pulling it away from his face so he could eat. Hinata had seen him do this countless times, so it wasn't unusual for her to see. What suprised her was his immediately turning to her, the slight frown tugging at his lips and his ever-so-slightly furrowed brow.

"What's wrong?," Hinata asked softly, setting her pack down at her feet.

"That's what I wanted to ask _you_," Shino responded, to her further surprise. She felt herself sigh again, her body slumping forwards ever so slightly. She could tell that he had noticed _that_, too, his brow furrowed down a little more. "The last time you attempted to delay our progress back to Konoha, Hiashi-san was brutally training you while still expecting you to go on the worst of missions..." She had to give it to him, he was right about _that _one...

"Yeah," Kiba added in as he sat on the other side of her, handing them their cantines back. Shino and Hinata took them back with small words of thanks. "That's why I called Hiashi that, because he's usually the reason you don't want to go back home."

"Well...," Hinata hesitated, managing to stop her sigh that time around. She thought a moment, both of them giving their undivided attention as she opted to look at the ground in front of them, playing with the still-packaged energy bar in her hands as she nervously nipped her bottom lip. "I...umm...it's _kind of _because of father...but there's...something else, too..." She could feel both of their gazes on her intensify a little, a little color rising to her pale cheeks. She shifted nervously a moment as the silence lingered.

"Well, what is it?!," Kiba finally snapped, as she kind of expected from him. She managed to only flinch a little at his voice before hesitantly turning back to meet his irritated gaze.

"I'm trying to think of a way to say this without coming off sounding...mmmhh...naieve," Hinata replied softly, contemplatively, as Kiba blinked at her in suprise.

"Just spit it out any way you want," Kiba replied, being blunt, as usual. "We're your friends, dummy. We don't give a damn if it comes off bad or whatever, we're not going to tease you for it or anything."

"It could have been said more tactfully, but Kiba is correct," Shino inclined his head as Hinata looked back at him with a small smile on her face. She was more than greatful for her friends...they always helped her when they could, and she returned the favor when she could. She managed a small nod and inhaled deeply.

"Alright...," She agreed softly, greatfully. "I don't want to go home, because...well..." She fidgetted again, looking at the ground when she felt Kiba becoming impatient again. She struggled only a moment more before finding the words she wanted to say. "A few years ago, father asked me to choose a man to marry before my twenty-third birthday." She peeked back at both of them, gauging their reactions. Kiba sat up a little straighter, albeit more rigidly, and Shino's brows rose a bit at that. "If I didn't choose, which I haven't, he said he would choose _for _me, and would arrange a marriage between myself and whoever he selects." Hinata paused, taking in a slightly shaky breath before continuing. "Granted, he hasn't said anything about it since then...but I have a _really _bad feeling that he's already chosen...and that honestly _really _scares me." Hinata managed a small smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "He's attempted to set me up with some...really bad men in the past...and I'm afraid it will be the same _this _time..." She sighed softly again, her white-lavender eyes reflecting her misery of the issue, conflicting with the smile on her face. "This time, it will be a permanant relationship whether I agree to it or like it or not...and there will be nothing I can do or say about it..." For a long moment, there was an uncomfortable silence. She put on a little more of a convincing smile before looking back up again. "But if I had chosen a husband before this, this wouldn't be happening. So...I really don't have the right to complain or anything. Please forgive me for slowing our progress back to Konoha. I promise to keep pace the rest of the way back." With that, she opened her energy bar up and took a bite, carefully avoiding her teammates' eyes. It didn't take long for their minds to catch up and Kiba to respond how she was afraid he might.

"_WHAT_?!," Kiba yelled, making Hinata flinch as she miraculously managed to swallow her bite without choking. "What the hell, Hinata?! I think this is the _worst _thing you're dad's done! How can you just sit there and brush it off like it's _nothing_?!" Hinata slowly turned back to her fuming friend, his eyes narrowed down dangerously.

"I'm the heiress," Hinata managed to say softly with a slightly saddened look. "I don't really have much of a choice in things."

"But-!," Kiba started to start up again.

"Enough, Kiba," Shino spoke firmly, suprising them both, and Hinata more when she felt his large, warm hand on her shoulder. Both Kiba and Hinata looked back to the Aburame in suprise. His lips were tightened into a thin line and his eyebrows were furrowed and upturned a little, seeming to give off a slightly sympathetic feel.

"Shino! How can you just go along with this?!," Kiba snapped at him angrily.

"Because I know how she feels," Shino replied simply, suprising both of them a little more. "I, too, am an heir, and I, too, will be married off into an arranged marriage of my father's choice." Hinata blinked in suprise at the man, though she really shouldn't have been so suprised- most heirs and heiresses were arranged to marry off by their families.

"It's still unfair," Kiba pointed out, Hinata hearing the frown in his voice. "To both of you- it's inhumane!"

"It doesn't change the fact that it will still happen, reguardless of what others think," Shino pointed this fact out to him. "Clans work differently than normal people and ninja do, you should know this by now. Wasn't your mother married off to your father?" Kiba hesitated a little.

"Well...yeah...," he admitted softly, unhappily. They knew Kiba didn't like to talk about it, and they knew Shino wouldn't go too far with it.

"In that lies your answer," Shino replied simply with finality that Kiba couldn't argue with.

"Why, though?," Kiba spoke softly, sounding about as helpless as he was. "Why do you _have _to?" Hinata's little false smile grew nervous as she glanced up to see Shino's shades angled down to her. His brow rose, as if asking if she wanted to explain or if she wanted him to. Hinata gave a small nod, silently telling him she would explain it as she turned back to Kiba, idly noticing Shino's warm hand was still on her shoulder. It was oddly comforting...

"Umm...," Hinata started nervously, Kiba's intense gaze turning to her, now. "It's because...well...because we're young...and we can create and bear several children now, for our clans." Hinata's face flushed darkly as Kiba flushed and sputtered in slight shock. "To continue our clan lines and so we can take over for our fathers as the clan leaders. _That's _why."

"Exactly," Shino replied, Hinata feeling him nod behind her, his hand patting her shoulder before he removed it. She shivered lightly as the coolness of the air set in where his hand had been, the girl almost immediately missing the warmth.

"B-B-B-But...I m-mean...," Kiba sputtered out, still seeming in shock. "Do you _have _to? I mean, what if you don't _know _the guy?!" Hinata gave a sad little smile as she looked at her long-time best friend.

"Yes...we have to," Hinata nodded. "It doesn't matter if we know them or not, like them or not...we _still _have to do it." Kiba seemed to notice Hinata's slightly melancholy mood, finally, and he let out a breath, looking as though he was going to drop it.

"Hinata," Shino spoke up, the girl turning to look back at him slightly curiously. His shades were tilted down to her, Hinata knowing she had his undivided attention, as he had hers. "I can understand your fear, but delaying the trip home won't help you any. Your problem will still be there, waiting, when you return, as mine still will be. It's not something that delay can help, nor something that either of us can merely escape from."

"I know," Hinata answered him softly, her eyes softened and saddened as she no longer tried to smile that false smile of hers. "I guess...I just let my fear get the best of me. I'm sorry..." She noticed his brows lax a little, as well as his lips.

"H-Hinata...," Kiba gasped softly from behind her.

"It's alright," Shino reassured gently, his hand on her shoulder again. "We're all human, and we've all let our fears get to us at some point or another." Hinata managed a small, real, smile at that, feeling a little better about it. "Just think of it as a mission that lasts a lot longer than normal missions...it works most times when I think of it that way." Her eyes lit up as she thought about it a moment with a little nod. It made sense in a way, and it made her feel a little easier about the whole situation.

The irony- a kunoichi that has faced the most fearsome of foes in battle...is more afraid of getting married than going into battle again. She was almost ashamed of herself for her irrational fear...

"Alright...thank you, Shino-kun," Hinata gave him a bright smile, the woman noticing his slight upward twitch of the lips at her smile. She felt accomplished, having made Shino smile a bit, which was normally a _really _hard thing to do...

"You're welcome," Shino replied easily, patting her shoulder again, his brows fully relaxed above his shades. "Though I suppose I should thank you, as well." At Hinata's puzzled look, his lips twitched up a little more. "You may have delayed my _own _marriage arrangement a little." There was amusement in his voice that made Hinata's lips spread into a wide smile.

"You're welcome, I guess," She replied with a hint of amusement in her own voice. "I was glad to help, if only a little."

"Aheh," Shino pushed his shades up habitually, Hinata blushing lightly and blinking as Kiba stared at him in shock. That was about as close as he _ever _got to laughing (excluding the time on that mission where someone slipped drugs into his food to make him laugh uncontrollably- that was a dirty trick), and it was a slight shock to the two, though a pleasant one. "Alright. We need to eat quickly now so we can get back on time."

"Mmm," Hinata nodded, feeling so much better about the issue that she was inwardly slightly shocked at herself. It was amazing how her friends helped her so much sometimes...

"R-Right," Kiba spoke with a sweatdrop on his brow as they all got to eating their lunch. They still had a fair ways to go, afterall, and there would be no more stalling and delaying this time. It was long way home...

^.^

"Well..._that's _good to hear," Naruto spoke up, relief etched into his face as he studied Team Eight. It had turned four 'o clock on the dot when they had reported in to Naruto, the man in the study of the Hokage Tower in Konoha. "I'm glad everything went over well and you took out the leader of that nasty uprising." His nose crinkled lightly at the memory of the rogue ninja. His face suddenly fell into a thoughtful expression. "Though, I have to admit, I _was _a little worried. You took a little longer to return than I had anticipated..." Hinata shifted her weight a bit nervously at that, noticing that both Shino and Kiba had noticed her subtle movement.

"That was _my _fault," Hinata managed to speak up with a light blush on her cheeks as she bowed to a surprised Naruto. "I apologize." She failed to notice both of her teammates looking at her with some semblance of surprise.

"A-Ahh...u-uhh...it's fine," Naruto waved off a bit awkwardly. "So long as you all are alright."

"We are," Hinata nodded as she stood tall again, her hands folded neatly in front of her.

"You didn't get kidnapped again, did you?," Naruto asked cautiously as Hinata inwardly cringed, the girl slumping ever-so-slightly.

"N-No, Naruto-sama," Hinata managed to answer softly, her blush heating her face a little more. She felt so incompetent that he had to ask that...perhaps she should ask for more training from her father, as much as she _really _didn't want to... "I...umm...m-my father spoke of arranged marriage, s-so I purposely delayed our return a little by lagging behind. It was f-foolish of me to do so, and I apologize a-again for the inconvenience." She bowed to him again, having seen a slight blush on his cheeks as she went down that time, his eyes widened in what looked like suprise.

"Oh...umm...," Naruto sounded as flustered as Hinata felt as she slowly bent back up to a standing position, her eyes trained on the floor as her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"Hina-chan," Kiba gently nudged her from the left, where he stood beside her, Shino on her right. She managed a small look at her teammate, the man seeing how embarrassed she was, though her long hair helped her hide it a little. He gave her a little sympathetic look before turning back to their Hokage. Naruto cleared his throat, Hinata looking back up at the man reluctantly. His cheeks were stained a light pink, to her slight surprise.

"Well...I'd heard of arranged marriage in clans...," Naruto spoke up, suprising them a bit. "And I can't really blame you for that. If I was in your position, I'd want to delay it, too, if anything." Hinata managed a small nod and smile, glad she wouldn't be punished or berated or anything...though she really hadn't expected _that _from the man. Her father, yes; Naruto, no. "But I think I would check in with Hiashi-san, if I were you." He had a sweatdrop on his brow as Hinata blinked at him in surprise. "He kind of...well...he was acting funny earlier. I ran into him in town when I went to get my lunch...and he was talking to himself- muttering under his breath about _something _or another. I don't know...he's always been so silent when I've been around him. Is that something normal from him?" Both Kiba and Shino looked at the surprised Hinata as her blush died down a bit and worry settled into her features.

"No...that isn't normal for father," Hinata admitted softly, feeling a little bad for delaying the mission's return now. Had he fallen ill while she was away? She had only ever seen him do that once, when he had gotten sick and was trying to hide it as he went about his day as though everything was normal. Her conscience weighed heavily on her now... "Thank you for bringing this up...I'll check on him as soon as I can."

"Alright," Naruto nodded a bit, looking worried that something seemed wrong, but glad that she could check on him. "If he's sick or something, let me know and I can get Tsunade-obaa on him or Sakura."

"I thought Sakura-san was on maternity leave?," Hinata asked with slight surprise. The woman was only three months pregnant, but she was having a few complications, from what she had heard.

"Well...she _was_...but she got bored," Naruto chuckled lightly with a sweatdrop, rubbing the back of his head as Hinata blinked. She was working again because she was _bored_? "When she gets bored, she gets easily irritated and violent. I couldn't have stopped her, if I'd tried...so I just asked some of the other nurses to take turns watching over her to make sure she stays well and all. She can't work on the sick patients, so she's been working in the OR. Actually, I couldn't ask Sakura to help, sorry about that, but I know a couple of other competent medical nin that could get to your dad pretty quickly."

"Umm...alright," Hinata nodded a bit with a small smile. "Don't worry about it too much. If it isn't too bad, the medical nin at the Compound can deal with him... It's not a big deal."

"But what if he's incapacitated?," Naruto asked, suprising them a bit that he remembered a large word. "Will you have to take over?"

"Mmmhmm," Hinata hummed as she nodded. "I will have to take over as the acting leader until father gets better, and I will be unable to take missions at that time. If you want, I can come by later to report how my father is doing so that you will know whether or not I can participate in missions or not."

"Alright. That'd be great, Hinata-chan," Naruto nodded and smiled at her, making her blush ever-so-slightly. She inclined her head to him politely.

"Is that all we needed to talk about?," Shino spoke up, suprising everyone a little. They all looked back at Naruto, who looked contemplative as he looked over his paperwork for the mission.

"Uhh...yeeeah," Naruto finally nodded with a little smile, stamping the top of the paper-clipped papers with a red stamp and pushing it into a manilla folder. "I gave you guys your paychecks, right?" He sweatdropped as he looked a little lost for a moment.

"Yeah," Kiba spoke up with a little chuckle, Naruto blushing a little with embarrassment. "Getting a little lost there, Naruto-_sama_?" Naruto scowled lightly as Hinata frowned at the man's teasing.

"Ahh be quiet!," Naruto growled back at him. "I've done so much paperwork and signed so many checks today I can't see straight anymore!" He rubbed at his face to emphasize that, the three kind of sympathetic towards him in their own ways. "Anyway..." He removed his hands from his face. "You're dismissed. I've got more paperwork to do." He groaned softly as he looked at another pile of papers that was standing tall on his desk.

"See you later, Naruto-sama," Hinata bowed as the other two did.

"See ya," Kiba tossed out carelessly.

"Hn," Shino spoke his trademark greeting as they all headed towards the door.

"Bye," Naruto called after them, Kiba shutting the door behind them.

"Man, this 'leader of the clan' business is tricky stuff, huh?," Kiba looked between Hinata and Shino with a little sweatdrop.

"Yeah," Hinata agreed softly with a little nod as Shino inclined his head. "If father is, indeed, sick, I'll be about as buried in paperwork as Naruto-sama is." She visibly slumped a little at that. Yes, the _wonderful _life of being clan leader...it was going to be _so _much _fun _when she took over...

"I hope he's well," Kiba managed to reply, patting her back a little.

"Me, too," Hinata nodded as they shared a little smile before walking after the mostly silent Shino, the group moving quickly down the stairs. Things were comfortably silent until they reached the bottom of the tower, each of them nodding to the usual guard that sat at the desk there. They always looked _so _bored... They exited and stood off to the side, keeping out of the way of incoming and outgoing traffic of the Tower doors.

"Well...that was relatively easy and fun," Kiba spoke up first, the man stretching and popping his joints with a little grunt.

"Yeah," Hinata nodded and smiled at the man a little.

"Are we still on for training in two days?," Kiba asked, looking from Shino to Hinata.

"Umm...well...," Hinata started, a hand at her lips as Shino looked down at her, pushing his shades up his nose. "I would still like to...but if father is sick, I won't be able to." Kiba and Shino both nodded understandingly to this. "Shino-kun? Would you be able to go?"

"Yes," he replied with a simple nod.

"Me, too," Kiba added in. "Akamaru might be able to, and I will be for definite." They nodded at that.

"Umm...do you think, maybe, we could all meet up in about an hour and a half at our usual training grounds? I should have my answer then," Hinata spoke up. "That gives me time to see Naruto-sama and get father taken care of, as well, if he's ill."

"That sounds good to me," Shino nodded to that as Kiba did.

"Yeah," Kiba grinned. "If you want, we could all go out to dinner, too. I don't remember the last time we went out like that...and it'll be _my _treat!" Shino and Hinata shared a look, Hinata surprised and Shino showing it with his raised brows. Kiba rare to never offered to treat to anything...

"Umm...alright," Hinata nodded after a moment of thought, a smile crossing her face as she looked to Shino.

"I will be able to," Shino nodded, pushing his shades up again.

"Alright, then," Kiba smiled his boyish smile that charmed Hinata somewhat. "See you guys in an hour and a half."

"See you," Hinata agreed with a little wave.

"Hn," Shino replied stoicly, as they figured he would. Each of them returned to their respective home with a simple jutsu, three puffs of white smoke the only indication that they had ever been there.

^.^

Shino stepped up onto the front porch of the dark, towering mansion that belonged to the Aburame Clan, the man sighing softly as he started digging around in his pocket for his house key. It had been a long day, and he was looking forwards to a hot shower and a change of clothes before he went out with Kiba and Hinata. Of course, he would talk with his father a little before he left...he was supposed to be back from his mission today...

"Hmm...," Shino let out a sigh through his nose as he finally found that darned house key. He went to slip the key into the lock when he saw something he had missed, and he really didn't know _how _he'd missed it... A large yellow post-it was stuck to the door, just above the handle. "What's this?" He gently pulled it from its perch and read the neat scribbles that were, undoubtably, in his father's handwriting.

_'Shino,_

_I have returned from my mission safely, but I have some business to attend to in town before I come back for the night. I brought in some groceries, so go ahead and eat without me. I may be a little late getting in. If you're up when I get back, we need to discuss something. See you soon,_

_Shibi Aburame'_

Shino blinked at the odd note. His father rarely left them, as he usually stayed in and lazed around the first day he got back from a mission. He couldn't really say anything, because he did the same, most times.

"Hmm...something important to discuss?," Shino asked himself aloud, the man frowning lightly. The last time his father had said that, his cousin had gotten gravely injured and was on his deathbed. Worry settled itself deep into his heart, but he didn't let it outwardly show. Though...he didn't think it was something of _that _nature this time; he wrote about 'business' he was attending to in town... It could still be virtually _anything _and it still worried him. "I hope it's not _too _serious..." His mind deep in thought, the man opened the door as he shoved the note in his pocket.

For some reason...he had feeling something big was about to happen...and he wasn't sure he was going to like it...

**End of Chapter 1**

~.~

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my fic, despite the fact that it ended in a dreaded cliffhanger. (He he,) Had to keep you interested! Keep reading, please, and I would like some (hopefully positive) reviews! Thanks for reading!

Also...I won't always be able to do these as long, but here's a sneak peek! Please enjoy! ^,^

**Here's a Sneak Peek at the next chapter:**

_Hinata sighed softly as she wrung her hands nervously in front of her. Sure, she knew what she had to do in order to make sure her father was alright...it was just...he usually didn't take well to her checking on him like this. He was a proud man that didn't like admitting his 'weakness' of being mortal. That was just how he was..._

_"Ohh...," Hinata sighed more heavily before inhaling deeply and regaining her more regal composure, knowing her father wouldn't have any less from her. She raised her tightly clenched knuckle as she approached the door to his study that she had stared at the last few minutes as she regained her composure. He was in there, she knew, because she had heard his voice within, speaking to another softly, as though not to be overheard. She had debated even knocking because he might be in a meeting with someone important and he didn't want her to interrupt._

_She swallowed down any fear she had of facing Hiashi and interrupting the meeting as she rapped lightly on the door, holding her breath a moment as she heard the voices pause._

_Besides, she could always say she was reporting in from her mission. That was always a good excuse to stop by- it was a mandatory thing that she report in after every mission, just like any other Hyuuga was supposed to. Yes, she was sure that would work. Though...it didn't help the butterflies flitting about wildly in her belly...that was something she'd just have to deal with...though it was hard to when she heard the light padding of feet getting closer to the thick shoji screen door. The feet stopped just before the door and it started to slide open, Hinata's heart almost jumping out of her throat in her nervousy._

_"Hinata," Hiashi spoke as he looked at his daughter over, obviously looking her over for injury after her last mission._

_"Father," Hinata greeted immediately with a bow, the girl standing straight right after as she looked him over for any sign of injury or illness. He was a little pale, but he always was from being stuck indoors, doing paperwork all the time. His dark hair was normal in sheen, tied back as he often had it. His eyes looked fine, not showing even a bit of weariness or lack of sleep. He was dressed in his usual dark robes, his feet bare against the bamboo floor. There was nothing in his stance, or anything that she could see, that even hinted at illness or injury._

_"Welcome home," Hiashi managed a small smile for her, as he had most days nowdays. Hinata smiled back, some of the nervousy leaving her as she allowed herself to breathe again._

_"It's good to be back," Hinata managed to reply softly but strongly as he inclined his head to her._

_"We were just waiting for you to get back," Hiashi spoke, suprising her mildly. 'We'? "Please, come in." He stepped aside so Hinata could enter. She hesitated only for a brief moment, padding onto his floor with her white socks, the girl having stopped to take her shoes off, throw her pack into her room, and grab a pair of socks to walk around in. She inclined her head to him politely as she walked in somewhat hesitantly, the girl looking to her father's traditional low-to-the-ground meeting table with slight shock. Someone she knew very well was sitting there comfortably on a dark silk cushion of her father's, his legs folded in front of him indian style. She was so suprised that she barely registered that her father had snapped the door shut behind her._

_"Ahh...Hinata-san," the man spoke with a hidden smile. "It has been a while, has it not?"_

Tune in next time for **Chapter 2 - Devious Dads and a Forced Fate**!

(I've always wanted to do that! XD )


	2. Devious Dads and a Forced Fate

**Arranged Marriage**

**Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream**

**Pairing: Shino x Hinata from Naruto**

**A Quick Note:** Chapter two is up! Tell me how you like it or how you don't, just be gentle and/or bring constructive criticism. Again, if you don't like the pairing, you have no reason to be here or flame me. Don't read it if you don't like it.

- I _did _do something new here...I didn't know Hiashi's wife's name or Shibi's, but I gave them names and pasts where they died to show why they're not in the series now. Also, I gave Shibi a little personality when he's alone with Shino and he even shows a hint of it while with his old friend, Hiashi, and his daughter, Hinata. It never shows how he is at home in the anime, so I decided to play with his character a bit. Forgive me if it seems too OOC, but I think it's a little better this way, if only for this fanfiction. It gives the comic relief that is much-needed so it's not so serious all the time... Oh...and I put a little bit of personality into Shino, too...he's secretly uber embarrassed on the topic of sex! XD That's going to be fun to play with, considering his very open and teasing father...hehe... (Of course the next chapter is going to be even _more _interesting reguarding all of that...you'll just have to see what I've got in store next time. Haha! ,)

-By the way, I'm probably going to put the rating on this 'mature' because I find myself liking the teasing of sexual topics and I'm being more realistic with sexual issues than I had originally planned. It's working out nicely, though. I like it.

**Disclaimer**: Sadly, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters...T,T  
And I did NOT create the very real sex positions 'the vertical tango', 'the congress of the crow', and 'the reverse mambo'. I came across these a _long _time ago on a couple's site... (Gotta love Shibi's teasing...lol)

**Arranged Marriage**

**Chapter 2 - Devious Dads and a Forced Fate**

Hinata sighed softly as she wrung her hands nervously in front of her. Sure, she knew what she had to do in order to make sure her father was alright...it was just...he usually didn't take well to her checking on him like this. He was a proud man that didn't like admitting his 'weakness' of being mortal. That was just how he was...

"Ohh...," Hinata sighed more heavily before inhaling deeply and regaining her more regal composure, knowing her father wouldn't have any less from her. She raised her tightly clenched knuckle as she approached the door to his study that she had stared at the last few minutes as she regained her composure. He was in there, she knew, because she had heard his voice within, speaking to another softly, as though not to be overheard. She had debated even knocking because he might be in a meeting with someone important and he didn't want her to interrupt.

She swallowed down any fear she had of facing Hiashi and interrupting the meeting as she rapped lightly on the door, holding her breath a moment as she heard the voices pause.

Besides, she could always say she was reporting in from her mission. That was _always _a good excuse to stop by- it was a mandatory thing that she report in after every mission, just like any other Hyuuga was supposed to. Yes, she was _sure _that would work. Though...it didn't help the butterflies flitting about wildly in her belly...that was something she'd just have to deal with...though it was hard to when she heard the light padding of feet getting closer to the thick shoji screen door. The feet stopped just before the door and it started to slide open, Hinata's heart almost jumping out of her throat in her nervousy.

"Hinata," Hiashi spoke as he looked at his daughter over, obviously looking her over for injury after her last mission.

"Father," Hinata greeted immediately with a bow, the girl standing straight right after as she looked him over for any sign of injury or illness. He was a little pale, but he always was from being stuck indoors, doing paperwork all the time. His dark hair was normal in sheen, tied back as he often had it. His eyes looked fine, not showing even a bit of weariness or lack of sleep. He was dressed in his usual dark robes, his feet bare against the bamboo floor. There was nothing in his stance, or anything that she could see, that even _hinted _at illness or injury.

"Welcome home," Hiashi managed a small smile for her, as he had most days nowdays. Hinata smiled back, some of the nervousy leaving her as she allowed herself to breathe again.

"It's good to be back," Hinata managed to reply softly but strongly as he inclined his head to her.

"We were just waiting for you to get back," Hiashi spoke, suprising her mildly. 'We'? "Please, come in." He stepped aside so Hinata could enter. She hesitated only for a brief moment, padding onto his floor with her white socks, the girl having stopped to take her shoes off, throw her pack into her room, and grab a pair of socks to walk around in. She inclined her head to him politely as she walked in somewhat hesitantly, the girl looking to her father's traditional low-to-the-ground meeting table with slight shock. Someone she knew very well was sitting there comfortably on a dark silk cushion of her father's, his legs folded in front of him indian style. She was so suprised that she barely registered that her father had snapped the door shut behind her.

"Ahh...Hinata-san," the man spoke with a hidden smile. "It has been a while, has it not?"

"A-Aburame Shibi-san?," Hinata managed to get out, blinking at the man once, then again to make sure that was _really _who she saw sitting there. And it _was_. He was sitting there in all his Aburame glory, the man almost fully covered by his black coat, the high collar buttoned up to his nose. The bottom was unbuttoned so he could sit comfortably, his black ninja pants showing, as well as a little of his black shirt, and his large, calloused bare feet. He had on the signiture black shades, his eyebrows raised slightly. Shibi's forehead protector was shining proudly from his forehead, his hair spiked up higher than Shino's and a little darker in tone.

The man was friendly towards her on a normal daily basis, even going so far as to tease her, at times. But, like her own father, she feared him to a certain degree, having seen him in battle more than once. He could be downright frightening...

"Are you suprised?," Shibi asked with a deep chuckle that made her cheeks burn a little, the girl embarrassed she had stared at him for so long.

"Here...," Hiashi handed Hinata a blue silk pillow and motioned for her to sit with them, Hiashi at the head of the table on a golden silk pillow. She sat across from Shibi, her legs folded neatly beneath her.

"How did the mission go, Hinata-san?," Shibi asked with interest as he gazed at her through his dark shades. "I haven't been home to see Shino yet, so I really have no clue how things went..."

"Yes, I would like to know, as well," Hiashi added in as Hinata managed a small nod.

"Umm...it was a success," Hinata spoke up in her soft voice as she looked between the two seriously. "We had to eliminate a rogue ninja gaining forces to attack Konoha. We were able to reach him before he gained too many followers, and we managed to destroy the uprising along with all of the members. A few Anbu Black Ops from Konoha followed us from a distance and they dealt with the bodies accordingly."

"That's good to hear," Shibi's voice came out sounding relieved and pleased. "Were there any injuries?"

"No," Hinata shook her head a little then hesitated slightly. "Well...nothing more than the usual bruises, scrapes, and shallow cuts. Nothing serious." She pushed her arm a little in front of her, showing a light cut from a shuriken before pulling it back down to the side.

"I'm glad to hear everything went well and that you all were fairly uninjured," Hiashi spoke up, suprising her a bit. Hinata looked back in more surprise as he beamed at her proudly. To say she was shocked was an understatement. Rare was the day that he even _looked _at her proudly... This would be a day she would remember for a long time to come. "You are getting stronger, Hinata. I am proud of you." Hinata felt her cheeks heat a little more as her eyes widened. Happiness and pride swoll within her chest at that, a small smile creeping across her lips. Yes, she would _definitely _remember this day.

"Thank you, father," Hinata spoke softly as she managed to bow from her position on her cushion. She sat up, still blushing a little, she knew, as a comfortable silence fell for a moment. Then she remembered what she had wanted to see about- how her father was. She hesitated only slightly as she looked over at her father, swallowing hard. "Umm...father..."

"Yes, Hinata?," Hiashi asked almost expectantly.

"Are you feeling well?," She blurted out, her cheeks heating a little at the sudden outburst. For a moment, Hiashi looked surprised, as Shibi did.

"Of course I am," he scoffed. "What would give you the impression that I am unwell?" Hinata shifted a little in her seat as his all-too-familiar 'I'm-superior-to-you' wall came up again.

"Well...Naruto-sama had said that he ran into you out in the village today, and he had been worried because you were talking to yourself," Hinata managed to explain quickly but in a way that was greatly detailed. "It isn't like you to do such a thing, so I reassured him that I would check in on you. It...really kind of worried _me_, too." She nibbled on her lip nervously a moment, her gaze on the floor. "Sorry." She flinched, waiting for the berating to come at her...and she waited. She peeked back up, seeing Hiashi's eyes slowly going back to normal and Shibi looking a tad amused.

"Hrrmmm...Naruto-sama, hmm?," Hiashi replied gruffly as she nodded. "That idiot." Hinata's eyes widened at that. "I had my communication device in my ear. I was talking to Shibi-san over the radio."

"O-Oh...," Hinata replied softly, simply, with a blink. She felt her cheeks heating again as she gave a small smile. "Well, I'm glad that is all it was and that you are well, father. I had worried." His eyes softened in such a slight way that only those with a trained eye could have seen it. Hinata saw it, and was glad he wasn't angry with her anymore.

"I'm fine; don't waste your time worrying about me," Hiashi replied easily, his tough composure back up.

"Yes, father," Hinata bowed again, respectfully. He couldn't stop her from worrying about him, but she would pretend to comply to satisfy him. That would be enough. She sat up straight again, wanting to get this odd meeting out of the way now so she could go see Naruto, then meet up with Kiba and Shino. Not that she didn't like either of the men she was sitting with, but it was a little unnerving being alone with both of them at once. Not to mention, her father had said he and Shibi were waiting for her. Perhaps it was a simple friendly meeting that she was allowed to join? She could only hope... "Umm...might I ask...why is it that you said that you were both waiting for me?" She looked between the two, both looking satisfied with the change of topic, as though they were waiting for her to ask that question...that, in itself, was odd...

"You may," Hiashi replied with an incline of the head. "I was hoping you would ask, in fact." Hinata clasped her hands together and tried not to fidget at the odd look that crossed Hiashi's face and eyes. She didn't know what it meant, but she was sure she wasn't going to like whatever was about to follow it... "Shibi-san? May I?" Hiashi looked over at the man, Hinata looking over, slightly surprised at the sudden question.

"Go ahead," Shibi held up a hand, giving him the 'okay'. What in the world was going on?! Hinata was utterly clueless...

"Alright, then," Hiashi gave a small smirky-smile as he looked back at Hinata. The girl bristled a bit and sat as straight as she could, seeing his white eyes were absolutely serious. He meant _business_. "Now, to start, over the years, Shibi and I have maintained a strong alliance between our clans. Our kekkei genkai are extremely different, but this alliance has been proven to be quite the smart idea on our part. We have a very strong level of trust and respect between our clans, and we know that we would not betray one another, as well. Things have gone...very smoothly between our clans...up until this point, in which we have reached a similar problem." Hiashi paused, waiting for Hinata to fully absorb all of the information that he'd given her. Hinata quickly caught up, blinking as she realized they wanted her help with whatever this little skirmish was...

"Alright," Hinata inclined her head, fully focused on business now. "What is this problem? Is there something that _I _can do to help?" Hiashi instantly smiled a smile that she didn't like.

"Indeed, you _can_," Hiashi replied with a nod, her stomach churning with nerves now. "Thank you for asking. You see...the problem lies with our children. They won't choose a mate and take their place as clan leader..." Hinata stiffened and bristled at that, her cheeks instantly flushing and paling at the same time as she understood the implication almost immediately. Hiashi looked amused, to her displeasure. "_This _is what Shibi and I have been discussing today...and we have reached a decision on what we want to do. It's simple, really, like a peace treaty between clans to ensure things _stay _peaceful. Our heirs are of opposite gender, so it couldn't have been simpler than this." He grinned as Hinata blinked in disbelief. She was totally and utterly shocked. "You and Shino-san will marry in June, three months from now, on the twenty-first. Now, since you are joining clans, you will have to bear heirs for both clans...but I don't see that as much of a problem. You are both young and have plenty of time for that." Hinata sat back, sure her cheeks had to be a dark shade a crimson they way they were burning. They felt like they were going to burn right off her face! How could her father talk about her and Shino doing..._that_...so casually?! In front of Shibi-san, too! Not to mention the irony...thinking back to earlier that day, she remembered her conversation with Shino, the man amused that she might have actually delayed his own arranged marriage. Well she did, in a way...she could only imagine his reaction when he found out... This seemed like a sick joke of some kind...was fate really so cruel? Not that she didn't like Shino, no, that wasn't it... but...she'd never thought of him like _that_... They'd always been really good friends...and this was going to screw that up..._horribly_. "Do you have any questions?" Hiashi looked at her expectantly. Hinata opened her mouth, then closed it, slightly opened it, then shut her mouth again with a deep frown.

"Do we _have _to?," Hinata was finally able to ask in a small voice after a moment of struggling for words. The young woman was in shock and internally mourning the fact that her relationship with Shino would probably never be the same again...and, most likely, not in a good sense, either.

"Yes, you have no choice in the matter," Hiashi replied coolly with an icy glare that made her flinch away from the man. "Shino-san has no choice, either. You both blew your chances to choose your mate a long time ago. It has already been decided between Shibi-san and myself. Do you understand me, Hinata?" The finality to his tone was like a dull blade, cutting into her skin and eardrums viciously...into her heart...

"Yes...father," Hinata answered softly, as obediantly as she was expected to. Her eyes were glued to the table as the weight of the whole situation sank in.

"Good," Hiashi replied, that pleasant tone to his voice again. It made her flinch away a little more. "You both will be expected to meet us here at one thirty tomorrow afternoon. Shibi and I have worked this out and made it possible for the four of us to meet. We have worked out most of the details of our agreement except some smaller things that you will get to have say in, like things you want in the wedding, themes, colors, the guest list, etcetera. Are you still with us?" Hinata managed a stiff nod, not feeling like she could trust her words at the moment. "Should we tell her about the living arrangements?" Hiashi looked over at Shibi, she noticed, the woman glancing warily between the two. She could see Hiashi was pleased she wasn't putting up a fight about this...and Shibi...the way his eyebrows were slightly upturned suggested he was sympathetic. She only figured that out from watching Shino for years... Shino...

"No, we should leave that for tomorrow, I think," Shibi spoke up, his dark shades turned to Hiashi. "We've given her enough to think about as it is."

"A point well made," Hiashi inclined his head, looking back to Hinata as she finally met his gaze again. Internally, she felt thankful towards Shibi...she wasn't sure how much more she could've handled... "Are there any other questions you want to voice?"

"No," Hinata shook her head, feeling a little dizzy and light-headed from her thoughts whizzing around her head at high speeds. Then it hit her again. She was going out with Shino and Kiba later...what time was it anyway? Does Shino know? "Well..." She frowned a bit.

"Ask," Hiashi commanded, Hinata sighing heavily.

"Shibi-san?," Hinata looked to the surprised man.

"Yes?," He asked attentively.

"You said you haven't been home yet," Hinata stated. "Does Shino-kun know?"

"Not yet," Shibi replied sheepishly, gently scratching the back of his head. "We've been planning all day so I haven't told him yet."

"Mnnn," Hinata nodded, feeling dizzy again. "I...umm...Kiba-kun offered to take us out for supper. Should I...just stay silent about it?" Shibi and Hiashi both seemed a little surprised at that.

"Yes...that would be for the best, I think," Shibi nodded. "I will tell him when he gets in later. Just...act natural." He gave a hint of a chuckle as she managed a small smile and nod.

"Is that all?," Hiashi asked Hinata. She just nodded at that, looking at him expectantly. "Then you are dismissed. Shibi and I have a little more to discuss before we can leave."

"Father, Shibi-san," Hinata replied politely with a bow. She noticed Hiashi bow his head with respect and Shibi returned her bow before she sat up and quickly got to her feet, taking the silken cushion and placing it where Hiashi had gotten it before she exited with another bow, opening the door quietly and shutting it just as quietly behind her. Hinata let out a shaky breath, feeling her cool exterior that she'd put up for the meeting starting to crumble. "Why does life have to be so difficult?" Hinata started when a large warm hand landed on her shoulder, the girl whipping around to see a slightly suprised-looking Neji there.

"Hinata-san...are you alright?," Neji asked softly with a blink. "I had just come by to see if your mission went alright...but you don't look very well..."

"O-Oh...," Hinata spoke softly, fully turning back to him as he removed his hand from her shoulder. She managed a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well...everything went well, we finished the mission successfully and we got out with very minor injuries..."

"That's good," Neji nodded. "But you still look...unwell." He frowned a bit, seeming uncertain as to how to say what he had wanted to say. "Were you in a meeting with Hiashi-san just now?"

"Umm...yes," Hinata admitted nervously.

"Something he said upset you, then," Neji spoke knowingly as she nodded a little to him. "We can go somewhere and talk about it...if you want." His offer was genuine, she knew, but he sounded so awkward asking her that. He was giving effort to come closer to her as a friend and as her cousin, and she appreciated it greatly...but he was still so awkward around her. Hinata's smile warmed a little at his effort, making him look a little less uncomfortable.

"I would like to," Hinata admitted. "But I can't say anything until tomorrow." Neji looked at her in surprise, blinking. He obviously hadn't expected _that_. She had to fight back a smile at his slightly surprised face. "It was a top-secret meeting of sorts...but, if father doesn't boast about it tonight, he will tomorrow after the meeting we have at one thirty in the afternoon. Then...if I'm not needed for anything...we could talk."

"Alright," Neji nodded to that, seeming to be wondering about what was going on, a thoughtful expression on his face now.

"Alright," Hinata mirrored his nod. "Would you happen to know the time, by any chance? I've still got to run back by Naruto-sama's, then I was going to meet with Shino and Kiba at the training grounds, because Kiba is going to take me and Shino out to eat tonight at about five thirty..." They had finished the meeting with Naruto about half an hour after they had gotten back, thus five thirty was the meeting time.

"Oh...," Neji replied, seeming surprised at her already full schedule after only _just _getting home. "I was just in my room and the clock read five o' five."

"Alright, thank you," Hinata bowed thankfully to Neji. She had just enough time to shower if she took only ten minutes, got dressed in three...then a quick visit to the Hokage Tower with her jutsu and then she'd use it to get to the training grounds. It would be tight, but she was sure she could make it. "I've got to run now." He bowed back and she ran off to her room as fast as she could, wondering if she could even face Shino... She would certainly find out.

0.0

"Is she gone?," Shibi asked softly, Hiashi using his Byakugon to track Hinata, the veins in his face bulging. He looked off to the side before turning back to the Aburame with a nod. "Good..." Shibi sighed softly, something nagging at him from the back of his mind.

"Before Hinata stopped by, you said that you had a concern," Hiashi restarted the previous conversation they were having before she entered the room.

"That's right," Shibi inclined his head as he slid his shades up his nose a little more. "Hiashi-san...how can we ask them to produce heirs for _both _clans...when doing it for _one _is hard enough?" Hiashi sighed heavily, giving Shibi an inkling that he'd come across that same problem before within the confines of his own mind and withheld it from their discussions. "There is the first issue of having a child with one distinct kekkei genkai for certain...but that isn't possible right off for the Hyuuga. Even if the child's eyes are white at birth, there is no guarantee that the child will have the Byakugon. For a normal coupling of Hyuugas, you have to test the child to see if they can use the Byakugon when they reach about the age of four. If not, then you can try again. For a normal coupling of Aburame...it is a little harder..." He hesitated slightly, both men slightly doleful at the very valid point he brought up. "Flesh-burrowing bugs, the Kikkaichu, must be implanted into the child at birth...and..._if _he survives...he can weild the kekkei genkai of the Aburame. But...the chances of survival are slim...Shizuka and I...we had three children before Shino, and all three of them perished to the Kikkaichu. Shizuka and I were devistated...I would hate to see our children suffer the same." It still hurt to say her name, Shibi noticed with an inward grimance. His beloved wife...he'd lost her some time ago in battle...but he still loved her and missed her so much... Hiashi was not so different. His wife had been lost the same, though Tsunata had been lost in a very different battle with a clan trying to steal the Byakugon by taking little Hinata hostage and studying her. Tsunata gave her life to save her beloved daughter. He didn't want to cause them any more grief than was necessary.

"Then what do you propose we do, Shibi-san?," Hiashi asked wearily. "I have thought of this before, too, and I have not found a solution. I cannot see a way to get around this issue." Hiashi gently rubbed at his left temple as they sat in silence a long moment. Shibi was hesitant to share his idea, fearful that Hiashi wouldn't accept it. It took a moment for him to gather his courage before he voiced it, still seemingly the perfect cool facade of a calm person on the outside.

"Well...I have an idea...but you might not like it," Shibi replied softly, gently. Hiashi raised a brow in surprise.

"Speak," was all Hiashi said. Shibi inclined his head, knowing he was not one to beat around the bush- he wanted the facts straight, hard, and as promptly as possible.

"Well...it also ties into another issue we had," Shibi admitted, suprising him a bit. "We also made that hard choice of separating them so that they could deal with the different clan issues in the two very different places. It isn't fair to seperate a newlywed couple so, and it would only hinder their progress in making clan heirs..."

"Get on with it Shibi-san," Hiashi rushed him a bit gruffly.

"What if we allowed them to live together in a new place of their own making?," Shibi asked outright, Hiashi's brows raising.

"Are you suggesting what I _think _you are?," Hiashi asked, slightly shocked. Shibi let a small grin show.

"That depends on what you think that I'm suggesting," he replied a bit teasingly, always getting one in on the man- this was his one for the day. Hiashi frowned at him lightly, understanding the light teasing, as they had been friends for so long. He ignored it, as he did most times.

"Are you _really _suggesting for them to make a clan of their own?," Hiashi rephrased, Shibi's teasing smile lifting up into a warmer smile.

"That's _exactly _what I'm suggesting," the Aburame confirmed, shocking the man slightly. "It will be highly likely that they will lose a child or two either way, but so many years will be wasted if they think they have a Hyuuga, just for the child to be unable to use the Byakugon. Why not combine the two kekkei genkai together to make a new clan, making things easier on our children in the process? Yes it will be a mess at first, creating a new home for them, rules, paperwork on all the basics, and etcetera, but it will be easier on them in the long run. They will have one home, one clan to look after, and they will not have to try as much for their children. Even if they don't come out as fully both, it will be alright- it's a new clan. They can marry into members of the opposite clan of their dominant kekkei genkai and try to merge them again. ...What do you think, Hiashi-san?" Hiashi took a breath, reviewing all that he said and, begrudgingly, agreeing with him on it. He was right, in most areas...

"Then what about our issues of clan heirs?," Hiashi brought up with a light frown.

"You have either Hanabi-san or Neji-san, yes?," Shibi replied with a raised brow as Hiashi nodded once. "Good. I can either remarry and try again or give the title of heir to my nephew. It's a simple fix. Any other concerns?" Hiashi was, quite frankly, taken aback and shocked to the core. His idea was pure genius, to be honest, and it would work out better on their own parts, as well as for their children. But...it was hard to decision to make... It was silent a long moment more as Hiashi pondered it once again, looking for any negative to the idea. The only one was that he wouldn't be able to see his daughter nearly as often...but it's not like he couldn't visit her. Sighing, he made his choice.

"Your idea is brilliant, Shibi," Hiashi admitted with his sigh, Shibi smiling a little more warmly as he dropped the formalities. "I also think it will be better for both our children and our clans in the long run."

"You're onboard, then, Hiashi?," Shibi asked, holding out his hand.

"Hn," the man nodded and put his hand in the Aburame's, the two shaking on it.

"I hope you have access to carpenters and the like, Hiashi, this is about to get messy," Shibi grinned at his friend proudly as they pulled their hands away.

"Oh, I know," Hiashi replied with a shake of the head. "Building new structures is always a hassle... I can call in some favors to make it happen, though."

"Excellent," Shibi smiled. With that, they started their elaborate plans up yet again, Hinata and Shino blissfully unaware of the newer change that would further change their lives, as they knew them, forever.

*.*

While they were plotting...

Hinata pulled on a pair of her white panties, a white bra, a pair of her black, tight ninja shorts, and a silken purple civilian shirt that she hadn't worn yet as she dropped the towel she had been using to dry her wet hair and body with. It was a shirt that Neji had gotten her for her birthday (with Ten Ten's help). The shirt was loose enough for her to be comfortable in it, but tight enough to show her curves, the shirt ending almost at her thighs, the sides slitted up to the top of her hip bones. It was a Chinese-like top, like those that Ten Ten wears, with a high neck and no sleeves. The main color was purple with silver hemming, blue butterflies outlined in black danced across it in patterns, the frogs and all at the top silver, contrasting with the rest of the shirt beautifully. It was a really nice shirt, it had just been too cool to wear up until this point.

She quickly brushed her long hair and pulled it back into a high ponytail, leaving only the strands at her ears and her bangs down, the long locks still damp. Hinata grabbed a pair of socks and black boots, pulling them on with speed she didn't know she possessed as she snatched a replica of her purple and white jacket from her closet. The clock read five twenty- she _had _to hurry! With that, and some money shoved into her pocket (just in case), she used her jutsu quickly and left her room with a small sound, a white dissappating cloud the proof of where she had just stood moments ago.

Hinata arrived at the Hokage Tower in seconds, turning and running in as quickly as she could, giving a quick 'hi,' to the suprised guards at the bottom as she yanked her jacket on while scaling the stairs with speed. When she finally got to the top, she was panting softly, looking at a clock as she passed, seeing only four minutes had passed. Not bad timing... She skidded to a stop in front of Naruto's office door, seeing it closed. Without hesitation, she knocked on the door, surprised that the door opened right after.

"Oh...Hinata-chan," Naruto greeted with a little smile. "I was about to lock up for supper...is there something you need?"

"I just came by to tell you that my father's fine and I'm alright for missions after tomorrow," Hinata informed him, suprising him a good bit as he seemed to notice she was panting and her hair was styled differently and wet. Not to mention her change of clothes...

"Oh...alright," Naruto nodded, a slight flush coming to his cheeks as he eyed her a moment. "What's up with tomorrow?"

"Hm? Oh...I've got a clan meeting with my father," Hinata replied with a heavy sigh, looking slightly dishevelled for a split second before she shook it off and bucked up like the strong woman he knew her to be.

"Alright," Naruto nodded to that, accepting it. "Umm...one more question." She raised her hand and gave him the 'go-ahead'. "Are you going on a date or something?" Hinata would have choked, had she had something to choke on. Shino immediately came to mind, along with their predicament, making her voicebox seize up a little.

"W-W-What?!," Hinata managed to ask in a squeak, her eyes widened and a flush on her face. Naruto chuckled, making her flush a little darker.

"Well, I mean, it looks like you just got out of the shower and you're dressed all nice and you've got your hair up pretty...," Naruto pointed out, making her blush somehow darken. He actually said she was _pretty_... She tried to shake it off as she looked back at him embarrassedly.

"N-N-No...I-I mean...," Hinata stumbled, nipping her lower lip a little. "I-I just got out of the s-shower...b-but my other n-ninja clothes are dirty or torn...m-my hair's still w-wet, so I p-pulled it back..." Naruto looked amused at her rambling, the girl fumbling with the edges of her jacket and looking like a schoolgirl trying to explain something embarrassing to her teacher. "K-Kiba-kun's taking us out t-to eat tonight." There, she managed to say _that_, at least...but she still felt like she wanted to melt to the floor and disappear...

"Oh...okay," Naruto nodded a bit. "A team outing?" He gave a little grin as she nodded. "That's good. You guys have always been such good friends...you need to enjoy yourselves like this a little more." She managed another nervous nod. "What time were you supposed to meet up with them?" Hinata suddenly stiffened and looked at the clock over his office. Five twenty-nine.

"Oh no! Right now!," Hinata groaned, Naruto chuckling softly at that. "I'm late!" She backed away from him a bit as he waved at her.

"Have fun," He grinned at her.

"T-Thank you," She managed with a bow, still blushing impossibly red. "Good-bye Naruto-sama."

"Bye," Naruto spoke, and that was the last thing she heard as she 'poof'ed away with that little white cloud that quickly dissipated.

*.*

"It's not like Hinata to be late," Kiba frowned as he looked at his watch again, then over at the stoic Shino. She was only two minutes late, but...this was odd from someone who was normally at a destination at least five minutes ahead of time...

"Yes...I know," Shino agreed with a hint of a frown on his face, the man a little worried for the woman. This was turning out to be a strange day... His father hadn't returned, but some of his Kikkaichu had been home...and they wouldn't speak with him, no matter _how _hard he tried. That, in itself, was strange. That means his father ordered them not to speak with him. Something big was up and he was becoming uncomfortable with it. He shook it off. It was better to focus on the present. He thought a moment for ideas of where Hinata could be. "Perhaps her father really _is _sick and she is tending to him."

"Maybe," Kiba nodded a little as he paced impatiently in front of a target. Then...

POOF!

White smoke billowed from a spot near a tree where Hinata liked to sit, the girl materializing in front of them.

"I am _so _sorry I'm late!," Hinata apologized, bowing to them immediately. The two noticed a couple of things immediately that were...odd. She was crimson all over and she was dressed much differently than normal. Both blinked at the sudden, shocking, arrival of their best friend.

Hinata was so embarrassed...so flustered...so..._late_!

"What took you?!," Kiba demanded, a little flustered, himself. Hinata stood straight again, still a nice shade of crimson as she looked at them both sheepishly, almost shyly, as they took in her appearance with surprise. Kiba's slight blush was seen...but Shino's was not.

"I-I was in a clan meeting with father when I got home," Hinata explained, getting her breathing back to normal slowly. "I barely had time to shower and dress...then I also had to go see Naruto a moment...and _that's _why I'm late. Sorry."

"Is your old man alright?," Kiba asked softly, trying to cool it.

"He's perfectly fine," Hinata frowned a bit. Yup. Now they knew things were alright at home, worrying them a little less. "He was talking to...err..._someone _on a headset... He wasn't talking to himself, Naruto-sama was mistaken." Hinata almost slipped up...then there would have been _more _to explain...

"Well...that's good...I guess...," Kiba cocked his head to the side, feeling she was keeping something from them. She just nodded to him. "So...you were in a meeting for almost that whole time?"

"Y-Yeah," Hinata nodded with a soft sigh, a slightly tired look to her eye.

"What was a meeting like that _about_, anyway?!," Kiba asked with surprise. "That's a helluva long meeting..."

"Well...umm...," Hinata hesitated. "It was a meeting with another clan leader." She tried hard not to even peek over at Shino, unsure of what she might say or do...she didn't want to give it away...

"Was it with my father, by any chance?," Shino asked with a raised brow. Hinata stiffened at that, suprising him a little. "He hasn't been home since I got back, but he left a note about going into town..." She slowly looked at him, looking more nervous than usual, confusing him a little. Why would she be nervous?

"U-Umm...yes," Hinata replied with hesitance as she nibbled her bottom lip. The feeling of anxiety was overwhelming her... '_I...I can't do this_,' she realized silently, sadly. '_I'm going to have to skip out this time_...' With the smallest of sighs and a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, she decided to tack on a little bit of truth to keep them from trying to interrogate her. "The meeting was about the treaty between our clans...and I'm not allowed to say more until you speak with your father. I apologize." She bowed to a surprised Aburame, then stood, looking at the ground so she didn't have to look at his face. Kiba was just as surprised as Shino, both in the dark. But at least Shino knew his father's note was about the clan meeting, obviously, and not an ill relative. That gave him the slightest of comforts.

"It's alright," Shino waved off almost immediately, though he was curious and worried about the way she was acting. "There is no reason to apologize...I know what goes on in clan meetings are to be kept secret." White-lavender orbs slowly and hesitantly met black shades as she simply nodded to him in understanding. There was still a fair amount of worry in her eyes, suprising him just a little. It must have been something serious to affect her so... "Are you ready to go out to eat now?"

"Yeah! I'm staaarrrvvvving!," Kiba yelped, bringing a hint of a smile to Hinata's face.

"Umm...actually...," Hinata spoke softly, gaining both men's attention again as she fumbled with the bottom of her jacket. "I don't feel very good...I'm just going to go home and rest."

"Are you gonna be alright, Hina-chan?," Kiba asked, sobering from his whining and looking at her seriously. He gently sniffed the air, finding nothing physically wrong with her...just a dizzying torrent of emotions almost overwhelming her, confusing him more. Did it have to do with that meeting with Shibi?

"Y-Yeah," Hinata managed a more real smile. "Don't worry about me, alright? Just go and have fun."

"Take care of yourself, Hinata," Shino spoke softly as he strode over and gently patted her shoulder with his large, warm, calloused hand. Hinata looked up at him in slight surprise, her eyes widened to show it. "And don't worry too much over the clan business. I will speak with my father about it when I get home." Hinata slowly nodded with her small smile.

"Mmmnn...alright," she replied just as softly. _'I wonder what __**he'll **__think when he finds out_...,' she thought secretly, immediately shaking _that _thought off. She didn't want to know just yet...she would find out the next day. "Umm...see you guys soon." She backed away from Shino and his nice warm hand, bowing to them both.

"See you," Shino inclined his head.

"Bye?," Kiba more asked than said as she left as quickly as she had come, in a matching cloud of white smoke. "What the heck?" He looked over at Shino for an answer.

"I'm not sure," Shino admitted, looking back to his long-time friend. "It is about the meeting between my clan and hers, but it isn't good." He pushed his shades up his nose a little.

"No duh!," Kiba replied with sarcasm and a frown. "What kind of meeting between your clans, though?! What would make her act...weird like that?"

"I honestly don't know, Kiba," Shino replied with a sigh. "When I find something out, I'll contact you."

"Alright," Kiba agreed reluctantly, turning his back on his friend. "Let's get some supper...I'm starved." Shino nodded silently and followed.

_'What in the world could worry Hinata so_?,' Shino asked himself, thinking hard over the question and not coming up with a significant answer. _'I guess...I'll find out later_...'

-.-;

Hinata sighed heavily as she pulled on her purple nightgown that went to her thighs, leaving on her ninja shorts. They were comfortable enough to sleep in.

"I couldn't do it," she sighed dejectedly to herself as she trudged over to her bed and collapsed on top of it. "I couldn't even be near him without..." She sighed again, pulling her lavender comforter up over her and snuggling into her pillow. "What a day..." She felt so tired... Letting her eyes slip closed and her mind wander, Hinata slowly fell into a restful slumber.

v,v

Shino sighed heavily as he saw his house come into view. He had opted to walk home after the somewhat awkward dinner with Kiba. But...this gave him plenty of time to think and prepare for whatever Shibi would tell him when he got back. In truth...he was kind of dreading going home...

As much as he tried to drag his feet and stall, he still got there within minutes. Shino sighed and pushed his shades up his nose a bit as he finished steeling himself for whatever was to come. "I guess there's no avoiding it," he spoke to no one, noticing one of his father's Kikkaichu nearby. He frowned lightly, watching it scurry back into the house. His father was home...and he was expected. "Hnnn..." Perhaps this was more serious than he first thought... He got up to the front stoop before the front door swung open slowly, his father standing there in his black pants, shirt, and fully unbuttoned black jacket. His feet and forehead were bare, he idly noticed, and some of his dark brown spiked hair was limply lying on his forehead.

"Welcome home, Shino," Shibi spoke with a little smile. "I would ask about your mission, but Hinata-chan told me all about it earlier." Shibi idly recalled his conversations with Hiashi, telling him to say the same to Shino- that they would have to produce two heirs for the clans separately, that the newest 'surprise' would be explained the next day. He had agreed to it and he knew how to act accordingly so that Shino believed him. All would be truly revealed in time.

"I...see," Shino replied a bit hesitantly, Shibi noticed. "It's good to be home...how did _your _mission go?"

"It went well," Shibi nodded. "I had to travel with Ibiki-san, and it's rare to never pleasant, but everything else went over quite well. I can see now why he is so revered as a great interrogator..." He had a slightly thoughtful look on his face before shaking his head. Shibi didn't bother hiding his emotions when he was home, though Shino practiced his cool facade everywhere he could, home included. "Nevermind that. Come in, son. We have something important to discuss."

"That, we do," Shino replied, suprising the man a bit as Shibi stepped aside and Shino entered, taking his shoes off and closing the door behind him. "Does this happen to do with the visit you paid Hinata and her father today?" Shibi's face immediately fell from pleasant to serious and a tad irritated, shocking Shino slightly.

"What did she tell you?," Shibi asked in a voice that demanded only the truth. Shino's brows furrowed at that. _That _was odd...

"Kiba and I asked her about where she had been because she was a little late meeting us for supper," Shino explained softly, watching for any changes in his father's carefully trained face. "We kept at her until she told us that she had been in a clan meeting. I asked if it had been with you, because of the note you left. She hesitated and told me that there was a clan meeting between you, Hiashi-san, and Hinata. She told me that it was about the treaty between us and that she was sorry, but she couldn't say any more than that until I spoke with you. She left early, saying she didn't feel well. I could tell that wasn't it, though. It had to be about the meeting today... Father, what is this _about_?" Shibi slowly inclined his head once, finding that Shino was telling the truth, to his pleasure, and Hinata hadn't told him anything of importance, as she promised. She just couldn't act the part, and it was a good thing that she'd left...

"I think it's best if we sit and talk about this," Shibi replied, confusing him a little more as he lead Shino to the black leather couch in the living room, Shino's Kikkaichu escaping from his body in droves to rest on their own in their favorite glass-encased habitats that were built into the walls. Shibi sat and Shino sat not far from him, both turned towards the other a bit. "Yes, Hinata ran away because she didn't want to tell you what I asked her not to tell you. It was a good thing to do on her part, though I _do _feel slightly bad that it ruined your little team outing." He gave the smallest of apologetic smiles as Shino's brow furrowed again.

"Alright...," Shino spoke up, the confusion in his voice. "Again, what is this about?" Shibi's smile turned slightly amused at that.

"You always _did _like to get down to business," Shibi teased gently before seriousing up again. "I suppose I can't blame you for that this time, though. This was a very serious meeting between Hiashi and myself as mediators between our clans. As Hiashi explained to Hinata earlier, everything has gone smoothly up until this point, and we've _both _run into a snag of a problem... Would you help us, Shino?" To say that Shino was surprised was an understatement.

"Of course," he answered almost immediately with a little nod. "I will do whatever I have to in order to keep relations between us as smooth as possible..." He almost regretted saying that in seeing Shibi give a smirky-smile that he didn't like in the least.

"That's _exceptionally _great news, Shino!," Shibi spoke with his best overly happy face he could muster. Shibi's favorite at-home activity was teasing Shino more than anyone...and Shino knew this very well, the young man twitching at his face and wondering if maybe whatever this was, was a sick joke of some kind. "Because now you can't back out." Shino could feel a sweatdrop forming on his brow as he blinked at his father from behind his black shades. The air was suddenly tense, his father serious again despite his lesser smile, and he knew he wasn't joking. '_What have I just gotten myself __**into**__?,' _Shino asked himself silently, warily. Shibi's smile faded a bit, a more serious look to his face. "Congratulations...you're getting married." Shino stared at the man in shock for a long moment, his jaw dropping just enough for his mouth to open a little. He blinked once...twice...

"_**What**_?," Shino asked, obviously shocked by the news. If he had been standing, he would've had to sit... Shibi actually chuckled softly at his son's stunned face- it was priceless.

"We decided, since our heirs are reluctant to marry, that you two should wed one another in order to help keep things peaceful between our clans," Shibi reiterated more clearly. "You both don't have a choice in this, you're _going _to see this through. We've been discussing this all day, you see, and we've got most of the details worked out...such as the date it will take place- June twenty first, three months from now, exactly. Now, you and Hinata will get to set the time it will happen that day, and even get to choose some other things to be in the wedding and all, just to be fair to you. We're going to meet Hiashi and Hinata tomorrow, at one thirty in the afternoon, at their Compound to speak more about it and get some more things set in stone..._and _discuss where you both will live after the marriage takes place. We _do _have a wedding gift for you both, but we'll tell you tomorrow, when you're both present." Shino could see his father's giddiness for the whole thing, Shino unable to share that happiness...he was still in shock and absorbing everything... At least he had managed to shut his slack jaw... "Oooh! I forgot! Another important point Hiashi mentioned at the meeting...you will both have to produce a couple of heirs, at least, one for each clan. It would be interesting to see a combined heir of both clans, though..." Shibi looked thoughtfully amused, as though trying to imagine it. Shino felt his cheeks warming unbearably at his father talking so casually about..._that_... Sex was a normally avoided topic by the young Aburame, as it was more awkward to talk about than anything...and he flushed even darker in realization as he thought about what he would have to do to Hinata in order to produce said heirs... "Ahh, to be young and have so much time to-"

"D-Don't say it," Shino managed to sputter embarrassedly, making the man chuckle again. He knew the man wasn't shy when it came to sex talks, and it was _more _than embarrassing...

"I'm sorry, son, have I _embarrassed _you?," Shibi teased lightly, nudging him in the ribs with his elbow. Shino swatted his hand away. "Seriously, though." He sobered, much to Shino's surprise. "That's about all I can tell you for now...do you have any questions?" Shino's face twisted into a frown as he thought on it seriously a moment, his earlier conversation with Hinata coming back to him again. He didn't miss the twisted irony of the situation...fate could really be a bitch sometimes... _'Well...she managed to delay my marriage a __**little**_,' he mused internally. '_Of course...it's her own, as well...which explains her odd behavior earlier_...' Not that he didn't like the girl, but...they had been friends for _so _long...he was almost sure that this was going to ruin that carefully-built close relationship. Not to mention she was the _only _girl outside of the Aburame clan that would actually approach him and wasn't afraid of his Kikkaichu... After another moment of thought, he turned back to his attentive father.

"Is it _truly _a necessity?," he asked, shocking Shibi somewhat. His brows raised high showed his widened eyes. Shino watched a long moment as Shibi's brows went back down and a hint of a softened amused smile crossed his face.

"It is," he replied simply, crushing all hope of somehow wriggling out of the arranged marriage. "But, you know...Hinata said something similar earlier."

"She did?," Shino blinked in surprise.

"Yes," Shibi confirmed, his smile quirking a little. "But her father isn't quite as lenient as _I _am...before I could even _think _to ask her why she asked that, he had crushed her completely and whipped her into submission simply with the coldness he dealt her in words and glares. Since I cannot ask her, I ask _you_. Why are you so against the marriage? You two are good friends, and that's about the best you can ask for in arranged marriages being married to your best friend, that is." Shino hesitated and thought on it a moment for the right words as he looked to the floorboards in front of him.

"That may be so," Shino finally answered, his voice soft. "But..._because _she my best friend...it will destroy the relationship we've built." He turned back to his father, the man's face indicating surprise. "I don't...I don't want to lose her like that. ...Things will become too awkward and I fear she will come to resent me for this..." Shino ran a hand through his chestnut brown hair. His father understood now, a smile hinting at his lips again.

"That is a plausible concern," Shibi answered with a single nod. "But...your relationship with her will only deteriorate if you both _allow _it to."

"Huh?," Shino asked so Shibi could understand his confusion, the boy honestly puzzled over that piece of fatherly advice.

"Alright, to re-word that...," Shibi thought a moment on it, coming up with a good way to repeat his little life-lesson a bit differently. "Okay!" He clapped his hands together once loudly, startling Shino a bit and making him flinch in suprise. _'At least I know I have his attention_,' Shibi thought amusedly, internally chuckling. "You need to talk with Hinata, herself, about this sometime. Alone, preferrably. You both will have to work at keeping your friendship up, there's no denying _that_, but...if you allow the doubts, awkwardness, and all of the negativity to get to you, then you will be at each others throats before long and that relationship will be ruined. However, if you talk with one another about all of that and get it all out in the open between each other, you won't have anything to worry about. I've seen the three of you hashing out your differences before, so this won't be much different. One person less, more or less." Shibi gave a smile as Shino blinked and realized he was right... "So you see? It's not _that _difficult. Your relationship will only deteriorate if you both let your fears and insecurities get to you while not talking about it to one another. It will only deteriorate if you allow it to. This is something you _can _do something about...so you don't have to worry so much. Alright?" Shibi put his hand on his son's head like he used to when he had been a boy. Oddly enough, Shino was comforted by both his explination _and _the slight show of affection he'd long since ceased.

"Alright...," Shino nodded. "I think I understand now." Shockingly enough, he didn't mind the arranged marriage as much as he thought he did to begin with...maybe it wouldn't be so bad, afterall...

"Good boy," Shibi smiled, retracting his hand. "Now...any more questions or concerns?" He paused. "Real ones?" Shino cracked a smile.

"No," Shino replied, pushing his shades up his nose again habitually as he thought about his entire conversation with Shibi.

"Okay," Shibi nodded happily, glad Shino was so accepting of the news now. "Now...I _do _want to tell you _this_..." Shino turned his attention back to his father. "I managed to get the date of the wedding set back three months for a reason. Hiashi wanted it done in a month, but I couldn't agree to that." Shino's brows rose in suprise. "I wanted you and Hinata to get close in this time- to actually date and accustom yourselves to a closer relationship. It _should _be a bit easier this way. You know what they say- the line between friendship and love is thin. You both should be able to pass that line in that time and...well..._hopefully _the wedding night won't be so much of a shock then..." Shino blushed and bristled a little at that. He appreciated his father doing all of this, but...

"I don't even want to _think _that far ahead," Shino admitted with a shake of the head. Shibi chuckled, knowing his son had always tried to avoid sex talks and the like.

"What's so bad about sex, Shino?," Shibi asked right out, watching his son turn a darker shade of red. He was highly amused, but also curious. "I'm serious! You always avoid the topic! I know you've masturbated before and even had wet dreams!" Shino sank a little farther into his high-topped jacket, turning his gaze to the floor as his skin turned a dark shade of cherry red. That was _not _something he had wanted his dad to find out... "My Kikkaichu have told me _that _much. _And_...that you've muttered womens names as you had both the dreams and pleasured yourself, so I _know _you like women. So...what's the deal?" Shino put his hand over his reddened face, groaning softly to himself.

_'This is a __**nightmare**_,' Shino thought despairingly. _'Sure, I've done all of that- it's natural when an erection won't simply go away on its own. __**Not **__that I'd mention that out loud_...'

"I just don't like talking about it," Shino managed to get out, proud that he hadn't stammered or stumbled over his words. He didn't admit to his father's accusations, either, true as they may've been... Shibi noticed, but said nothing of it.

"Oh, come on," Shibi nudged him in the side. "You can talk about heirs and all and not bat a lash, but when it comes to the actual production of them..." Shibi grinned at his horribly embarrassed son. Shino had to admit, it _didn't _bother him to talk about heirs and all casually, but not to think on the matter further-on how they're _actually _produced.

"That's because it's just a generalization of the matter," Shino knocked Shibi's arm away and scooted away a bit. "It's just...I...ah...it's too intimate a topic! I don't want to talk about it!" Shibi's grin widened at the crack in his son's cool outer exterior. Shino cursed the man in his mind, knowing that he was the only one that could make him crack like that...

"Ohhh...I get it," Shibi smirked as Shino raised a hesitant brow. "You're already thinking of being in bed with innocent little Hina-chan." Shino's eyes widened, his brows raising as he stiffened and went slack-jawed again at the sudden accusation.

"No!," Shino managed firmly.

"That's it, isn't it?," Shibi prodded, knowing full well that it wasn't. This was just too much fun! "You're thinking of doing the vertical tango with her! The congress of the crow! The reverse mambo!" Shino was, possibly, the darkest shade of crimson he'd seen yet. Shibi couldn't help but laugh.

"I-I'm going to bed!," Shino declared, standing to his feet and walking briskly around the couch and towards the back hallway.

"Wait! Shino!," Shibi managed to stifle his laughter a bit, the boy rigidly stopping to listen. "Don't forget that we go to Hiashi's at one thirty tomorrow!" Shino nodded to that. "And...well...look at this..." Shibi managed a straight face as he turned on the T.V. and turned the channel. Shino looked back, flushed even darker at what had come on, the moans and groans of pleasure loud in the silence. It was a porno! And damn if he didn't feel his body responding to it!

"You're sick!," Shino accused as Shibi burst out laughing. Shino turned away and hurried back to his room, Shibi turning off the T.V. after changing the channel back to the previous one.

"Ahh...I haven't laughed like that in ages," Shibi smirked to himself.

"Rrrrr!," Shino growled softly to himself as he made it to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. He buried his hands in his hair and slowly slid down, sitting against the door. "_That _was dirty..." The man sighed softly as he let his arms go slack, falling away from his face and to his legs. His black shades went with them, slipping to the floor with a light clatter. Dark brown expressive chestnut eyes were revealed, several emotions flitting about them at relatively high speeds. Embarrassment, sadness, slight anger and irritation, uncertainty, and a few others, as well. "Bastard." He leaned his head back with a soft sigh, his eyes peering up at the ceiling a long moment. His cheeks were still slightly flushed, the red color a bit washed-out looking on his face. "I just don't like talking about it...especially with _that _pervert..."

Of course, he was referring to his father. The man had started spouting his sex knowledge the moment Shino had turned ten years old, explaining everything in excruciatingly detailed explanations. _That's _why he was uptight about the topic- his father forced it on him from an early age. He knew he was just teasing him most times, but it was aggrivating. It was too awkward to talk to _him _about, anyway... Shibi was his _dad_. It was just naturally awkward. Sure, he'd talked about it with Kiba a few times, but that was different, _and _that was a long time ago- when they were first learning about sex and were extremely embarrassed about it...though Shino still could be... He sighed again.

"I only have three months...to get used to it...and the thought of...doing _that_...with Hinata," Shino spoke embarrassedly to himself. It wasn't hard to picture, to his slight suprise...but thinking things and doing them were two _extremely _different things. He thought about it a little longer than he'd meant to, picturing Hinata's bare, fair-skinned body beneath his own, her dark hair splayed out behind her on his bed as she writhed in pleasure and called his name in ecstasy. Shino gasped at his line of thoughts, his slight erection quirking at them. "Damn..." He pulled his head back down as his cheeks flared a dark pink again, lust glazing his chestnut eyes over. He had to get rid of his...arising problem. "I guess a shower will have to do..." He groaned softly as he managed to stand, getting his shades and tossing them onto his bed. He pulled his jackets and shirt off, throwing them into his laundry hamper nearby. His slightly sun-kissed torso was bare to the world, showing off his toned slender body and six pack...and the several openings and numerous scars where the Kikkaichu had burrowed into his skin. Shino untied his forehead protector and tossed it beside his shades before starting on his zipper on his pants, stopping only to brush his hand over a scar on his lower belly, just below his bellybutton. The fine brown hair that trailed beneath his pants line had a sliver of a bald streak where the scar was located. "I hope she doesn't find my body repulsive..." The thought of her seeing his bare body was almost a frightening thought...he had scars and openings _everywhere_. No...he couldn't think of that. Not now. He would worry about it later. That decided, he removed his pants and boxer-briefs and took a second shower, relieving his aching rising issue, before changing into clean underwear and sleep pants and settling in for the night.

**End of Chapter 2 **

,

Cha ha! No cliffy this time. Still...it's going to be an interesting meeting the next day, huh? Wonder what Hanabi will think if she finds out? She may have...an interestingly violent reaction...you'll just have to wait and see! o Ohohoho!

Please Review! Thanks for reading! XD

**Sneak Peek at Chapter 3:**

_White-lavender eyes framed with thick black lashes fluttered open to early morning sunlight filtering into the room. The girl to whom the eyes belonged turned her head to see her ocean blue alarm clock blinking with the time- six o' five. It was habit to get up at about five or six in the morning now, sometimes later when she came back from a mission. She was slightly suprised she hadn't slept later than that. With a yawn, Hinata sat up and stretched a moment, feeling her bones crack with a contented sigh. She idly realized she'd left her hair back in a ponytail and she quickly pulled the ponytail holder out and slipped the lavender elastic band onto her sidetable, running her fingers through her sleep-strewn hair a moment to get some of the major tangles out. Before she could do more than blink, the shoji-screen door to her room was thrown open and a livid Hanabi stood there, staring her down murderously. Hinata was suddenly __**much **__more awake as she felt a cold chill run up her spine. White met white and all hell broke loose._

_"You bitch!," Hanabi screeched, running in, kunai drawn. Hinata mentally cursed her grogginess and not keeping her own kunai close as she managed to throw off her covers before Hanabi struck. The shining blade came down as Hanabi tackled her elder sister, Hinata's hand barely catching her arm to stop the decent of the blade. Hinata was pressed down to her bed as Hanabi hovered over top of her, sitting up a little and using both hands to try and force the blade down on Hinata's neck. Hinata had to use both hands to keep the blade back, cutting her left hand slightly as she grunted with the exertion._

_"What's wrong __**now**__, Hanabi?," Hinata managed to ask, though her voice was strained. She knew the girl wanted the title as heiress and she tried to kill her on a daily basis...but she'd never snuck up on her while she was asleep before, or just getting up. Hanabi had said she wouldn't, because it was dishonorable... What had pushed her so much that she had gone back on her word and her own little code she'd made?_

_"You __**know **__what's wrong!," She snapped back in a dangerous hiss, her eyes lit with anger. "You're getting married so I can't take over the clan! __**You'll **__be clan leader! I can't...I __**won't **__accept that! I'll kill you before your three months are up, __**that **__I guarantee!" Hinata's eyes had widened a bit in shock. How did she find out about that?! In her little moment of shock, Hinata accidentally let up on her grip a bit and Hanabi smirked, forcing the blade away, then slashing at her throat..._

Haha! That's all I'm giving you! Read on in the next chapter to find out what happens next!

Stick around for **Chapter 3 - Close Calls and Serious Situations**!


	3. Close Calls and Serious Situations

**Arranged Marriage**

**Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream**

**Pairing: Shino x Hinata From Naruto**

**A Quick Note**:

- Dun dun dun...it's heeeerrreeeee! Chapter three is now up! Thank you guys for your awesome reviews and thanks to LadyofMist92 for pointing out my mistake! I'm working on getting that changed and keeping myself from making the same mistake again. If you guys see something wrong with the story, please point it out to me. I'll be more than happy to correct it. ^.^

- I'm going to do my best to keep you guys interested in my story and I'll try to keep you guessing as to what will happen next! My little plot bunnies are kind of running around crazy and I'm trying to pick the best ideas of the bunch... (I actually re-did this chapter _several _different times trying to get this one right, believe it or not! , )

- My little brother also read this story and was interested, even though he hasn't seen much of Naruto...and he brought up some _very _interesting things that I hadn't even _thought _about. We concocted some awesome ideas together that I plan to incorporate a little later on in the story. (Thank you much, little brother! You are the awesomest!)

- So...thanks to him...I also want to hear _your _opinions on things in the story and things you're curious about. I may have missed something, as much as I go over it again, and again, and _again_, or I may have forgotten something that I had originally wanted to incorporate since the beginning. New ideas and suggestions are just as awesome- I sometimes run into snags in the story and fall into a rut that takes a few days to get out of. The fight scenes and all in this chapter is one _very _good example. _It's _the reason I re-wrote this chapter so many times! (Well..._that _and I decided to do something different the last time and it turned out _really _weird... I had made a scene where (instead of Shibi) Shino made breakfast...(which I may still add in, sometime in the future)...and then, after talking with his dad, Shibi had his Kikkaichu steal Shino's hair gel and hide his own so Shino had to go out with un-gelled hair. I thought it was kind of funny...but then I had Shino too upset over his hair and he sounded girly... .; _Sooo_...I had to start over again. _This _version is _much _better than _that _one...)

(_Wow _this is a large small note! lol XD )

- I am very, _very _sorry for the lateness of the release of this chapter! It looks like I'm only going to be able to do one update a month. (Things didn't work out as I'd planned them to.) Sorry guys. :(

- Thanks to all of ya'll who read this!

- Suggestions/comments/questions/ideas/constructive criticism/revisions gladly accepted!

- **Warning **- Blood, violence, and swearing in this chapter..._and _Shibi's perverse teasing, of course! XD

**A Quick Thanks To**:

KayseeRP, Mike, CharNinja LOL, Clumsy 0132, dragonick711, LadyOfMist92, and sillypandalover91 for your awesome reviews! You guys are the first to read and like any of my fanfictions, so, naturally, I'm ecstatic! Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm going to do my best to keep you all hooked until the end! ^/^

**KayseeRP**: I plan on it, but my ability to get to the library to get the chapters posted is slow-going. (I live out in the country, I can't drive, and I don't have internet.) I'm glad! I hope to get this next chapter in soon! ^.^ Thank you much for your review!

**Mike**: Thank you very much! I love intricate plots and playing with characters and their emotions while still keeping them IC as much as possible. (This is also my first play at comedy between characters, so I'm _really _happy it's going as well as it is.) I'm gonna do my best to continue at a steady pace and keep you interested! Thank you much for your review!

**CharNinjaLOL**: Isn't she, though? Lol. Thanks for your review!

**Clumsy0132**: I'll do my best to keep my updates regular. It will be about a month between updates...(sorry, I thought I'd be able to do it every two weeks, but it just isn't working out like that...)...but I'll try to have a long chapter or two at the ready when I _do _get to post them! Haha...he really is, isn't he? XD Thank you for the review!

**dragonick711**: Seriously? I haven't checked out many of the Hinata/Shino stories yet, but that's _really _surprising. (I figured there would be so many more people posting them up...) And...I mean...Hinata and Shino are an awesome pairing, if you think about it. This happens to be my favorite pairing, too, over all of the many different Naruto pairings I like. ^.^ I'm happy that you like my story and I'll do my best to keep my posting of chapters regular at one or two a month. I'm hoping to create some...interesting...reactions to the sudden engagement... (Cue an evil schemer's cackling, lightning, and tons of little plot bunnies running rampant...Hehe! XD ) Thank you very much for your review!

**LadyOfMist92**: Haha! Thank you! I had a _lot _of fun making that scene...probably more than I _should _have. lol XD Oh! And thank you for telling me that...I'm going to change that ASAP! Thank you for your review~!

**sillypandalover91**: Thank you! ^,^ I'll get to it as quickly as I can! Hehe...that's my favorite part, too... Thank you for your review!

**Thank you all again for your reviews! XP**

**Disclaimer**:

If I owned Naruto...would I be here now writing this fanfiction? ...No.

Would Hinata stay so in love with Naruto, if I owned Naruto? ...No.

She'd be with Shino! XD

**Arranged Marriage**

**Chapter 3 - Close Calls and Serious Situations**

Tousled brown hair danced over a white pillowcase as the owner of the hair groaned softly and turned over on his western-style bed. The last tendrils of sleep were slowly leaving him, awareness setting in, and he _really _didn't want to get up... He was far too comfortable and warm... Pulling his black covers up, he prepared to go back to sleep...but he was interrupted. The buzzing of a Kikkaichu caught his attention, the man sighing as he cracked a sleep-hazed dark brown eye open. The bug was only inches from his face and he relayed a message from his father.

_'Get up, sleepyhead, I made breakfast. Today is a big day_.'

Shino sighed again and opened his other eye. So much for sleeping...

"Alright," Shino replied softly, his deep, sleep-riddled voice sounding a little husky. "Tell father I will be in the kitchen in a few minutes." With a little buzz of approval, the Kikkaichu flew off, landing at his door and slipping through the crack beneath it before heading back to Shibi. Shino looked at the alarm clock beside his bed, reading off the time. Five twenty five. It was almost a half hour later than he normally got up...but it was about an hour or two earlier than he usually woke up for a day after a mission. "Damn..." The man yawned and stretched, his joints popping here and there as he did so. Slowly, he sat up and threw the covers off, shivering at the early morning air. Goosebumps rose over his skin and he regretted not pulling a shirt on the night before.

"I hope it doesn't stay this cool all day," He muttered with a little shiver, rubbing his bare arms and torso to try and warm himself a little. His Kikkaichu, what few were residing within him, buzzed in agreement. He slid his legs to the side, pushing himself towards the edge of the bed. His feet met the cool ground, causing another cold shiver to run through him. Ignoring it, he got up and went to the bathroom attached to his room, did his business, and washed his hands afterwards. He frowned as he looked in the mirror as he dried his hands on a blue hand towel, seeing his thick, messy hair sticking up in odd places. He had bed-head..._bad_. Grabbing his brush, he set to work running it through his tangled locks, quickly de-tangling it and attempting to brush the cowlicks down. After a few minutes, satisfied that he'd made them lay down...for the most part...he opened his medicine cabinet and reached for his hair gel to spike his hair up. Only...it wasn't there.

"Hrm?," Shino let out a disgruntled grunt as he looked at the empty space with a confused blink. It took him a moment to remember... "Oh...yeah...I used that last of _that _container last night..." After his first shower, before he met up with Kiba and Hinata. After the second shower, he hadn't bothered to spike it again. He closed the cabinet and knelt down, opening his cabinet below his sink. That's where he kept his stock of hair gel. He looked...and looked...but there was none left. His lips turned down into a light frown. This wasn't turning out to be a good day so far... "Maybe dad will let me use some of his." Shrugging, he closed the cabinet and stood. Instead, he sifted through his medicine cabinet again until he found what he was looking for- a small, thin, elastic hair tie. He pulled his semi-short hair back, pulling it into a ponytail. It was a somewhat short, slightly poofy, ponytail, and some of his hair from the front fell loose, hanging just in front of his ears. It _just _wasn't long enough to reach and _stay _in the little band. Shino sighed. "This will do for now."

He exited his bathroom and walked back into his room. First, he strode over to his dresser and pulled out a simple long-sleeve black shirt, a pair of black pants, and a pair of white socks. Then he put them on his bed, pulling on his shirt before shedding his warm sleep pants. He pulled his black pants on quickly and then sat on his bed, slipping his socks on. That done, he stood again and went to his closet, pulled out his white jacket with the high collar, and donned it. Satisfied that he was significantly warmer, he went and picked up his round shades and slid them on, the man taking a peek at his alarm clock. Five thirty two. Not bad. Shino picked up his forehead protector and pulled it on, tying it in the back. The material of it kept back the hair that had been falling into his face at his ears, the hair now framing his face. It kind of made his face itch...but he tried to ignore it for now.

Now dressed and (somewhat) ready for the day, Shino strode to his door and left his room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He _really _wasn't looking forwards to talking with his dad so soon after Shibi's little _fun _the night before...but it couldn't be helped. He sighed as he walked down the hall he had fled down the night before, ending up back in the living room. Shino took a hallway off to the left side of the living room, passing by some of the bug habitats built into the walls on the way through. The Kikkaichu seemed to be doing well, despite the cool weather. Of course, the habitats were kept at the proper temperatures for the Kikkaichu, so it wasn't a surprise that they were doing so well.

Moving on, Shino made it to the semi-large eat-in kitchen. He wasn't surprised to see his father at the stove in a white apron, finishing up their breakfast. Bowls, silverware, and plates littered the butcher block counter tops somewhat messily, but it wasn't a surprise to Shino. Shibi could make the _biggest _messes while cooking...but he had to admit...Shibi was an _excellent _cook...

"'Morning, father," Shino spoke up as he reached the dark-stained bamboo kitchen table, the younger Aburame noticing a cup of steaming coffee already on the table. Shino didn't drink coffee, so he knew it was Shibi's.

"Good morning, Shino," Shibi greeted amiably, not taking his attention from the eggs he was scrambling and bacon he was frying. "Did you sleep well last night?" Shino went to a cabinet on the opposite side of the kitchen from his father and opened it.

"I did," Shino replied simply. "Did you?" He grabbed a green plastic cup from the cabinet and then shut the cabinet door. They had thickly-made plastic cups and sturdy dishes on account of Shibi's clumsiness when it came to doing the dishes...

"Mmmhhh...I can't lie," Shibi spoke up, surprising Shino a bit. "I didn't sleep very well at _all _last night."

"Hn," Shino hummed in response, brow raised in surprised thoughtfulness as he went to their simple white refrigerator. He opened the door and pulled the half gallon of milk from the top shelf. "I would have thought you'd sleep well last night, considering everything that's happened."

"Yes...well...," Shibi started, hesitating a little as Shino poured milk into his cup almost to the brim before replacing the milk and shutting the refrigerator door. "While it's true that things have gone favorably...I still can't help but worry about _some _things..." He sighed, gaining more of Shino's curiosity and interest. He sipped from his cup before picking it up carefully and seating himself at the table. "I've known Hiashi a very long time, Shino...back to our ninja academy days." He poured the eggs into a bowl and gathered the bacon into another bowl already full of bacon. He turned off the burners from their gas-powered stove and slid the hot frying pans back as Shino watched him work. "And some of the things he is doing and thinking about are worrying me a little. You'll find this out later, of course. Not to mention _that_..." Shibi briefly paused, trailing off a little and stopping what he was doing a moment. Shino lifted a wary brow. What was Hiashi thinking of doing that was so bad...? "Never mind. Can't think about that now." He shook his head, further confusing his son. He got back to work, shifting things around and getting things from the cabinets. "I'm also a teensy bit afraid of him being harsh on little Hinata-chan. Not that he would be _harsh _harsh on her, but he might try to put pressure on her to do some things she might not want to do...and, of course, I can't even talk about it yet..." Shibi sighed, coming to a standstill in both his speech and making the food. Shino was actually becoming worried for his father now...he _never _rambled on like this... And Hinata...he prayed to Kami that Hiashi wouldn't be _too _harsh on her for whatever it was that they were planning to do. "I'm just going to drop it before I accidentally say something I'm not supposed to."

"That's fine," Shino responded gently, reassuring him it would be alright to do so. "What are you planning to do today before the meeting?" An abrupt change of subject to turn things down a smoother path...

"I don't know yet," Shibi mused aloud. "I still have some chores to do around the house..." Shino inclined his head to that knowingly- it was Shibi's turn to do the laundry, dishes, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, and last, but not least, shopping. "What are _you _planning to-?!" Shibi stopped as abruptly as Shino changed the conversation, the man having turned to his son. His raised brows indicated surprise just as much as his lips frozen mid-sentence showed it. Shino raised a questionable brow at his surprised father. "What happened to you hair?"

"I ran out of hair gel," Shino replied with a soft sigh, remembering _that _little issue now. "I was going to ask you if I could use some of _yours_..."

"Oh...," Shibi replied simply, seeming to gather his wits. Well...Shino hadn't come out of his room without his hair gelled and spiked in years. It was an understandable shock to Shibi. Shino would have reacted similarly if Shibi had suddenly come into the kitchen with his thick hair lying flat and pulled back into a ponytail... "I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but I don't have any left. I used the last on my own hair and then wrote it on the list of things to get at the store." Shino groaned softly as Shibi pointed to the grocery list on side of the refrigerator, held up by a bee-shaped magnet that Shino had completely neglected to look at. Sure enough, as he rose and went to look at the list, he saw it was written there in his father's neat print along with the other groceries.

"Did you plan on doing the shopping this morning?," Shino asked hopefully as he turned back to his dad, knowing that the store that sold their hair gel didn't open until ten.

"I didn't," Shibi admitted with a little sympathetic smile. "I thought I'd clean first and then go to the stores after leaving the Hyuuga Compound later. It would save me a trip." Shino felt a little disheartened, knowing he needed to do something, himself, sometime that morning... He noticed his father's sudden thoughtful look and felt hopeful. "But...I _do _have an errand to run a little later. I need to give a couple books back to your cousin, Shinichiro. I think I could make a quick stop at the store then to pick some up."

"I would really appreciate that," Shino nodded his thanks to his father.

"Just asking...but...why don't _you _go to the store and get it?," Shibi asked curiously, a brow raised and a small hint of a grin on his face. "Too embarrassed to show your face in town without your hair spiked?" His grin turned teasing as Shino had to fight back a scowl, managing to only let a frown cross his lips.

"That's not it," Shino shook his head as he leaned back against the fridge, his arms crossed over his chest. "Well...it _would _be a _little _embarrassing...but I've got other things to do this morning."

"Like?," Shibi asked curiously, noticing Shino's slight hesitance before answering.

"I wanted to see Hinata before the meeting is to occur," Shino admitted softly, his gaze turning away from his father and to the floor off to the side. His father would want nothing but the truth on this subject, and that's _exactly _what he was going to give him. "I want to speak with her and reconcile...to settle all of the awkwardness and such between us so the meeting won't be so hard for us to sit through..." Shibi smiled a soft little smile at the boy, though he didn't see it.

_'So...he's going to take my advice, is he_?,' Shibi thought both amusedly and somewhat proudly. He already knew that Shino was telling the truth. There was an undertone of emotion in his voice that gave it away. _'He's grown up so fast_...' He sighed softly through his nose, looking at the young Aburame, the man looking to be deep in thought. The thought of his young son leaving him to live in a mansion of his own was a very sad and lonely thought for Shibi. _'Oh well...__**all **__kids move out and away __**someday**_.' He mentally pulled himself back together, turning and walking back over to the plates and bowls that were filled with food and still sitting on the countertops. He grabbed a couple plates, a hidden devious smile crossing his face. **'**_**That **__means I only have three short months left to tease him... I'll __**definitely **__have to make the most of this_!' With an inward snicker, he willed his devious smile away and resumed a small, amiable smile.

"I think that's a good idea, Shino," Shibi admitted honestly as he started to set the plates up on the table, pancakes on one and toast on the other. Shino snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at his father in slight surprise. "Clearing the air between you will make things a _lot _easier for you both and Hiashi will be less agitated at the two of you. And a calm Hiashi is better for _everyone_."

"Hn," Shino hummed his agreement as he nodded as well. Shibi took that moment, looking back at his son, to take his apron off and hang it on a hook on the wall a good distance away from the stove.

"Can you help me set up the table?," Shibi asked, getting another nod as both went silently to the counter tops. Shibi grabbed the bowl with fried sausage and another filled with scrambled eggs. (Shibi and Shino both liked their eggs best scrambled, unless they wanted an omelet. Because of the lack of ingredients, he only made scrambled eggs.) Shino grabbed a plate with bacon on it and then he retrieved two fresh plates from the dish drainer and followed Shibi to the table. Shibi set up the eggs and sausage while Shino put down the bacon and set their plates up across from each other at the small round table. "I'll get the butter and syrup if you can get the silverware."

"Alright," Shino inclined his head, quickly getting himself and Shibi a fork as well as grabbing a butter knife for the butter and a ladle for the eggs. (Have you ever tried to spear scrambled eggs with a fork to put them on your plate? It's not easy. Shino tried once and decided not to try that again. Since then, he'd grab a large spoon or ladle to distribute the eggs, whichever was available at the time.) He went back to the table and set the forks on their plates, he set the butter knife on top of the bar of butter, and he set the ladle in the bowl of eggs, the man sitting as his father did. They both gave thanks for the food before digging in, each getting a large plate full of food. Shibi waited a moment, seeing Shino's defenses lowered. _Now _was the perfect time...

"Shino...," Shibi started, the man giving a small hum to indicate he was listening. "Are you going to go to Hinata's with your hair down like that?" Shino had to swallow a mouthful of eggs before he could answer his father.

"I don't have much of a choice," the younger Aburame sighed softly. "I can go to the meeting later with my hair spiked, but I can't do much with it until then." Shibi nodded, watching Shino take a bite of buttered toast.

"Hm," Shibi hummed and nodded at his son, watching carefully as he swallowed the toast and took a swig of his milk before taking another bite of eggs. "Well...maybe it won't be _too _bad. She may _like _your hair like that." Shino gave him an odd suspicious look as he swallowed his eggs, a brow raised.

"Is that so?," was Shino's careful reply, the man taking another bite of eggs.

"It is," Shibi replied, a very subtle hint of deviousness in his innocent-sounding voice. "You know what they say...women like a little hair to grab and tug on." Shino choked on his eggs, his face tinged red for two very different reasons (embarrassment and...well...because he was choking). Internally, Shibi chuckled. Outwardly, he had a slightly concerned look on his face. "Are you alright, son?"

"Y-You..." Shino coughed, the man shaking his head as he grabbed his milk and drank some of it down quickly. He stopped and swallowed, panting softly, before taking another quick drink and setting the cup down. He cleared his throat, looking back at his father; his face reddened less from choking on eggs and more from embarrassment. "I-It's too early f-for your perversity!"

"I'm insulted!," Shibi replied in mock defensiveness. "I only meant that women like to play with men's hair when it's longer." Shino frowned deeply and his eyebrows furrowed, knowing it _could _be interpreted that way, but he highly doubted his father _meant _it that innocently. "You don't believe me." It was a simple statement and it was true.

"I don't," Shino replied just as easily.

"Oh, come on," Shibi goaded, inwardly smirking. "Just think about it a moment. Hinata's small, thin little fingers running through your hair...grasping it and gently pulling it back as she kneels behind you, her warm breath on the back of your neck." Shino's cheeks flushed a little more and he bristled at Shibi's descriptive story-telling. It didn't help that he was _actually _visualizing this as Shibi spoke it... "She leans forwards every now and again to whisper something breathily into your ear as she works her fingers through your hair and kneads your scalp. Hinata moves nearer over time, her chest brushing against your back as she works, her hands coming down to slowly massage your neck and shoulders. You can do nothing but lean back into her touch as her hands begin to wander your body, her voice more insistent in your ear. Her hands wander to your abdomen as she pulls as close as she possibly can to you from behind, her luscious little lips at your ear. She seductively tells you what she wants from you, her hot tongue roaming your ear lazily. She wants your hair to rain all over her body, accompanied by searing butterfly kisses and...hey, wait! Where are you going?"

"To eat in my room," Shino replied with a twitch, the man bordering crimson in color. He was standing with an overly full plate in hand. (He'd managed to fix his plate and stand when he came out of his brief spell of shock.) Shino was _mortified_...how could his dad just sit there and talk about increasingly sexual situations like that?! Imagining them about his son and soon to be daughter-in-law, at that! How sick could he _get_..?! '..._Strike that thought_,' Shino thought silently. _'I don't __**want **__to know_!'

"Ah! Wait!," Shibi gasped as Shino started to turn and walk off. Shino didn't pause until Shibi jumped out of his seat, the seat being pushed back with a loud scraping noise. "I'm sorry, Shino. I _really _am. I didn't mean to go _that _far...my imagination just ran away with the scene..."

"Hm," Shino hummed neutrally as he looked back at his father from over his shoulder unhappily.

"_Please _sit and stay for breakfast," Shibi pleaded. "We haven't had breakfast together in months..." Shino knew that was a fact...and he normally liked eating breakfast with his dad, but...

"Do you promise that you will stop your dirty talk?," Shino asked stiffly.

"_Completely_?," Shibi asked, disheartened.

"Yes," Shino inclined his head. "Or I will leave." Shibi hummed softly before he sighed.

"Alright...alright," he nodded. "You win this time. I won't tease you anymore...this morning, at least." Shino nodded, knowing he would be fair game later as he turned and headed back to his chair, both men re-seating themselves at the small table. It was uncomfortably quiet for a long few minutes as they ate, Shino's blush dying down. Shibi tried to think of something quick to break the newly-formed thick ice between them. "So...just wondering...but...have you thought about telling Kiba about this yet?" Shino stopped eating and tensed. _Kiba_. He'd forgotten all about Kiba in his own mental anguish over the arranged marriage...not to mention his father's teasing...

_'I __**thought **__I was forgetting something_...,' Shino silently admitted, remembering his promise he made to Kiba the night before, to tell him what was bothering Hinata when he found out. '_I'll have to speak with him before Hinata this morning...but...I don't think his reaction will be a very good one_...' This wasn't an observation based on only his reaction to arranged marriages the day before, no. _This _went back much farther than that...back to their days at the academy and just after... One _specific _memory came to mind...

_"Hey Shino," the young Inuzuka flagged the young Aburame over, the exhausted small Akamaru already asleep in the hood of Kiba's jacket. Their training for the day had just ended and Kurenai-sensei and Hinata had already headed off. Shino walked over after collecting the last of his kunai, the man humming in response to show Kiba he had his attention. "Can we talk?" Shino's brow rose, the boy idly wondering what brought __**this **__on..._

_"Sure," Shino inclined his head. He was making efforts to get closer to __**both **__his teammates, after all. It was a necessity for teamwork; to get all problems and such out of the way between them, that is. Any distractions could be fatal in battle. A little talk with Kiba wouldn't hurt. "What is bothering you, Kiba?"_

_"Well...I...," the Inuzuka looked slightly troubled and thoughtful...like he was trying to think of the best way to say what he wanted to say. That, in itself, was rather shocking. If he wanted to say something, it usually came spouting out of his mouth, tactfully or not. If he was actually __**thinking **__about how he wanted to word something...well...this must be serious... "Can you keep this between us?" Kiba shifted uncomfortably, Shino feeling a tad more confused and worried._

_"Of course," Shino inclined his head again. Kiba looked a little easier about whatever it was he wanted to say._

_"Good...thanks," Kiba thanked him awkwardly. Shino hummed and nodded to the boy, waiting for him to speak again. "Umm...well..." Kiba flushed lightly and then refused to look Shino in the face, the boy kicking around a couple rocks. "I like Hinata."_

_"I like Hinata also," Shino replied stoically, noticing the way Kiba's eyes widened as he looked back up at his face. "She is our teammate and friend." The suddenly high-strung boy seemed to relax a little, though he was still tense._

_"N-No...I mean...," Kiba sighed, turning fully back to Shino. "Y-Yeah, she's our friend and teammate and all...but...I like her more than that, Shino." He paused briefly and Shino could see a glimmer of something in Kiba's eyes that he used to see in his father's eyes when he looked at his mother...before she died... "I always want to be by her side... I want to help her with everything and __**through **__everything, no matter how long or hard things get. I want to help her train to become the person __**she **__wants to be, __**not **__who her stupid dad wants her to be! I want her to find out what she wants in life, and I want to help her get there. And...and...when we're older...I want to marry her!" Shino was mildly shocked at Kiba's brave and bold declaration, the boy panting lightly from his little speech and the courage it must've taken to admit all of that to him. _

_Shino __**really **__didn't want to burst his bubble...but there was __**no **__way Hiashi would __**ever **__let him marry Hinata. He'd already expressed his extreme dislike of the 'filthy mutt' (that was Hiashi's __**exact **__words when referring to Kiba). Not to mention...Hinata's own impossible infatuation with the blond-haired Naruto. Hiashi would never allow __**that **__to happen, either... He sighed, listening to Kiba prattle on about how he would defeat Hiashi if the man ever tried to stop him. Instead of stopping him and ending his little fantasy, Shino let him go on and on, nodding at the appropriate times and storing this in the back of his mind in case the boy should come up missing or dead because of an attempt to date or marry Hinata._

"Shino?," Shibi waved his hand in front of the man's face, Shino shifting back to reality, slightly startled, as he moved away from the hand in front of him. "Is something wrong? You kind of zoned out there..."

"I just remembered something," Shino replied with a shake of his head, the man trying to shake the memories away. Part of him felt like he was betraying Kiba by accepting the arranged marriage so easily...and yet...he didn't actually have a _choice _in the matter... He tried to shake the feelings away with the memories...

"Oh?," Shibi asked curiously.

"I need to go talk to Kiba first this morning and tell him what's going on," Shino explained, Shibi nodding at that understandingly. Teammates needed to keep each other updated on sudden, large, changes like this, after all... "Last night I promised Kiba that I would tell him when I found out what had caused Hinata's odd behavior." Hopefully it wouldn't take _too _long and..._hopefully_...Kiba wouldn't try to _murder _him for being arranged to marry Hinata...

"Mnn," Shibi nodded. "Understandable. She was probably...nervous." Shino nodded to that wordlessly. "Good luck with that, son. I know Kiba isn't the easiest person to talk to...or the most rational... I also saw his little crush he seemed to have on the girl a while back, so be careful how you word things when you tell him." _'You have __**no **__idea_,' Shino thought to himself as he merely nodded again. He looked up at the large, black-rimmed, round clock in the dining area of the kitchen. It was nearly six. _'Kiba __**should **__be up now_...'

"I've got to finish eating and go so I can get back with enough time to speak to Hinata, as well," Shino stated, starting to speed up his eating.

"Are you expecting to be at Kiba's a while?," Shibi quirked a brow in surprise as he glanced at the clock. "It's still pretty early..."

"Yes," Shino replied simply as he managed to swallow his mouthful of food. "I will have to explain everything to him that you've told me...and then probably argue with him about arranged marriages again..."

"Again?," Shibi prodded curiously.

"Yes...we actually had a discussion on it yesterday on the way home," Shino inclined his head, taking another quick bite, chewing, and swallowing it before speaking again. "Kiba doesn't like the idea of arranged marriages and it may be a rough discussion, considering that and his possible feelings for Hinata." There was no doubt in Shino's mind that it was going to be a rough discussion- Kiba still loved Hinata. He was expecting the Inuzuka to lash out at him and try to pummel him into the ground. (Honestly, he didn't blame him, though. He'd feel a little betrayed and upset if he were in the Inuzuka's shoes...but he would also understand that it wasn't his fault- it was an _arranged marriage_, after all. But...he wasn't so sure that _Kiba _would understand that part...) _'I need to grab my ninja gear before I go_,' Shino mentally noted. It was only for precautionary measures. He wasn't aiming to kill Kiba, of course...just to be able to fully defend himself from the man.

"Yes...that sounds like it's going to be...a slightly difficult and interesting conversation," Shibi agreed, watching Shino finish his plate of food and toast quickly. Shino was careful to make sure he wasn't _too _full. He couldn't afford to be sluggish and he didn't want to lose the delicious food if they fought.

"Mmnnhhh," Shino hummed and nodded, quickly downing the rest of his milk. "Thank you for breakfast, father. It was delicious, as always." With that, he stood and took his plate and cup to the sink.

"You're welcome," Shibi replied somewhat cheerfully. "Are you leaving now?"

"After I grab something from my room," Shino nodded as he turned back to his father.

"Alright," Shibi responded thoughtfully. "If you swing back by around ten thirty to eleven, I should have the hair gel by then and you can spike your hair before the meeting."

"I'll be sure to return about then," Shino nodded. "Thank you for that, as well."

"No problem," Shibi grinned. He was about to make a comment about his hair, but Shino sensed it coming and all but fled the room. Shibi chuckled to himself. "Damn...he's getting better at evading me..."

"I made it," Shino let out a breath of relief as he reached his room, glad he got out before his dad started something or teased him. He went to his side table on the opposite side of the bed from the side table that held his alarm clock, and he quickly pulled out a couple kunai and shuriken pouches, already attached to bands to keep them on, the pouches already full of the silvery blades. (He had refilled them before his first shower the day before.) Shino hesitated a long moment, looking at the blades. "But...if I go with my ninja gear on...he _may _feel threatened..." He ran his fingers over the black casings as he thought on it long and hard a moment. "I don't want to make him any angier than he's _going _to be..." With a nod to himself, Shino replaced the black cases with his ninja blades in it. Instead, he slipped his hand into the back of the drawer and retrieved his house key. He shut the drawer and unzipped his pants pocket. (These were his favorite pants- the _only _pair with zipper pockets. He could easily store things in the pockets and not worry about them falling out.) Slipping the key into the pocket, he zipped it and snapped the hidden snap before he zipped his jacket up, his Kikkaichu hurrying back to him and slipping up into his jacket and under his shirt. (He'd felt some escape in the kitchen...they probably told the others he was leaving so he didn't have to go gather them, himself. It was considerate and convenient...and he thanked them softly for it.)

He flinched a little when he felt them buzz as they entered his body again through the little openings they had created over the years. It could be painful, at times, but he was _more _than used to it. He idly watched a few land on his hand and he held it up, his jacket sleeve pulling back, revealing one of the many openings of his body. It looked like a small, slightly curved scar, maybe a centimeter or two in length, at first glance. The difference between a scar and an opening was soon shown as the Kikkaichu burrowed a moment, finding the edge of the skin and lifting it, the little 'scar' turning into a little circle-shaped entrance into his body. The next bug entered more slowly, his skin and muscle tissue within being revealed in the moment it took the bug to enter. The opening closed behind the Kikkaichu, resuming its scar-like appearance. It still disturbed Shino a little that he could actually _see _inside his body when the bugs entered like that. He rubbed that specific opening gingerly. At least they couldn't come open like that with brief touch or rubbing...the Kikkaichu had to slip their little legs into the skin to lift it. He could open one with a fingernail, if he wanted to...but he had no desire to try it.

Shino shook off his slight disgust at being able to see his bone, muscle, and skin tissue through his openings and let his sleeve fall back over his arm. He noticed a scar on the back of his hand. That was a _real _scar, roughly the same size and shape as the openings. It was a previous opening that had been abandoned by the Kikkaichu, so it sealed shut and was left as a scar. He had many scars and openings both...he just wished they would keep the openings they currently had so that he would have fewer scars.

Shaking it all off, he stepped away from his furniture. He knew, in a way, he was stalling, distracting himself by thinking about his scars and openings like that. He didn't want to meet up with Kiba...and he didn't want to tell him about the arranged marriage. But...he really had no choice in the matter. He mentally scolded himself for attempting to pull what Hinata had the day before. Delay wouldn't help this- it was better to get it out of the way as soon as possible. His mind made up and breath held, Shino used his transportation jutsu and left in a cloud of wispy white smoke.

He could only hope that Kiba would take the news better than he was expecting him to...

;.;

White-lavender eyes framed with thick black lashes fluttered open to early morning sunlight filtering into the room. The girl to whom the eyes belonged turned her head to see her ocean blue alarm clock blinking with the time- six o' five. It was habit to get up at about five or six in the morning now, sometimes later when she came back from a mission. She was slightly surprised she hadn't slept later than that. With a yawn, Hinata sat up and stretched a moment, feeling her bones crack with a contented sigh. She idly realized she'd left her hair back in a ponytail and she quickly pulled the ponytail holder out and slipped the lavender elastic band onto her side table, running her fingers through her sleep-strewn hair a moment to get some of the major tangles out. Before she could do much more than blink, the shoji-screen door to her room was thrown open and a livid Hanabi stood there, staring her down murderously. Hinata was suddenly _much _more awake as she felt a cold chill run up her spine. White met white and all hell broke loose.

"You bitch!," Hanabi screeched, running in with a kunai drawn. Hinata mentally cursed her grogginess and not keeping her own kunai close as she managed to throw off her covers before Hanabi struck. The shining blade came down as Hanabi tackled her elder sister, Hinata's hand barely catching her arm to stop the descent of the blade. Hinata was pressed down to her bed as Hanabi hovered over top of her, sitting up a little and using both hands to try and force the blade down on Hinata's neck. Hinata had to use both hands to keep the blade back, cutting her left hand slightly as she grunted with the exertion. The blood from the cut on Hinata's hand quickly filled her slightly cupped hand and trickled down her arm in a couple different places, all the way down to her shoulder and back, staining her purple shirt and her white sheets. She ignored it for now.

"What's wrong _now_, Hanabi?," Hinata managed to ask, though her voice was strained. She knew the girl wanted the title as heiress and she tried to kill her on a daily basis...but she'd never snuck up on her while she was asleep before, or just getting up. Hanabi had said she wouldn't, because it was dishonorable... What had pushed her so much that she had gone back on her word and her own little code she'd made?

"You _know _what's wrong!," She snapped back in a dangerous hiss, her eyes alight with anger. "You're getting married so I can't take over the clan! _You'll _be clan leader! I can't...I _won't _accept that! I'll kill you before your three months are up, _that _I guarantee!" Hinata's eyes widened in shock. How did she find out about that?! In her little vulnerable moment of shock, Hinata accidentally let up on her grip a bit and Hanabi smirked, taking advantage of it. She forced the blade away, and then slashed at the older Hyuuga's throat. Hinata managed to act fast enough to pull her left arm back, Hanabi's blade only nicking her neck on the right side before cleanly slicing down her arm to her elbow. Blood flowed immediately down Hinata's arm and onto her neck and chest. The older Hyuuga couldn't stop the guttural yelp of pain that escaped from her throat...but she managed to repay the younger Hyuuga back soon after.

With little thought and quick action, Hinata had thrust her right chakra-filled hand, palm up, right into Hanabi's nose in the moment it took the younger Hyuuga to pull the blade back. Hanabi screamed out in pain as Hinata was morbidly satisfied by the crunching of Hanabi's cartilage beneath her hand. Blood spewed from Hanabi's nose immediately. She dropped her blade and jumped back to the foot of Hinata's bed, holding the area around her broken nose shakily as she tried to concentrate on breathing through her mouth. Hanabi's blood had splattered all over Hinata and her bed, but it was _well _worth it. Hinata was quick to grab the abandoned blade Hanabi had dropped before she rolled off of her bed, taking a defensive stance. It was about _then _that Hinata realized her own soft panting and slight shaking from the sudden, unexpected, battle. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins and keeping her very aware of her surroundings and of Hanabi, despite her grogginess from just waking up.

"H-Hanabi...where did you hear that from?," Hinata asked softly, almost gently, as the younger Hyuuga glared daggers at her.

"Father," Hanabi replied shortly, her voice a little different because of her broken nose and it was a little muffled by her hands. She slowly moved her hands back and Hinata could see her nose was badly crooked now and it looked very unnatural on her face. Hinata felt a little bad for breaking Hanabi's nose...but, at the same time, Hanabi really deserved it for all the mean things she had done to her over the years without any kind of retaliation from Hinata. "He was talking to one of the Hyuuga carpenters, mentioning the wedding and date. I was walking by when I heard it. ...I'm _still _going to kill you, you know- this is just a minor setback." Hinata had to resist the urge to shake her head at her sister, but she gave in to her other urge to sigh.

_'Same old Hanabi_,' Hinata thought somewhat fondly and tiredly at the same time. Hanabi was always _easily _worked up (_especially _when it came to something pertaining to leading the clan- _that _was reason enough for her to abandon her code), but it normally only took a powerful attack (or a severe enough injury) or two to subdue her. Of course...subduing Hanabi never lasted very long before she was up and at her sister again. Hinata took the proper precautions in keeping her senses focused on her temporarily disabled sister, figuring she would be up again shortly. _'But...wait...he was talking with a __**carpenter**__? What for, I wonder_?' She paused in thought, noticing Hanabi reaching for something behind her. '_I'll probably find out later_...' Putting it in the back of her mind for the moment, she concentrated fully on Hanabi again. Predictably, Hanabi drew another kunai swiftly and was upon Hinata in mere seconds.

"Rrrraaaggghhh!," Hanabi let out a war cry, locking kunai with Hinata. Hinata parried the attack and Hanabi was quick to thrust her blade at her again. They locked blades a few more times, Hinata parrying, pushing her away, and blocking Hanabi's attempts at killing her. Finally, growing tired of fighting her younger sister, Hinata moved just so as Hanabi's kunai made contact with her own, Hinata launching both blades across the room on purpose. What she hadn't anticipated...was Hanabi's instantaneous recovery and attack. Hanabi's chakra-coated hand made contact with Hinata's abdomen; the elder Hyuuga's eyes widened in surprise and pain as she doubled over, retching blood onto Hanabi's arm, front and legs, as well as her own legs.

"Nnngghhhaaa," Hinata wheezed as Hanabi's hand backed away only slightly to return to the same spot, the thrust almost harder than the one before it. Blood trickled from Hinata's lips and down her throat as she struggled to breathe again. (She'd never been hit by a moving vehicle before, but she was almost sure it would have been the same- feeling as if someone had run into her at a high speed in a moving vehicle.)

"Aww...does it _hurt_?," Hanabi snickered, pulling her hand back for a third thrust...that Hinata didn't wait around for. She purposely fell to the side, watching Hanabi's eyes widen as her hand sailed through the air instead of Hinata's abdomen. Hinata was quick to catch herself. As soon as her hands touched ground (Hinata pointedly ignoring the throbbing and stinging pain in her left hand and arm), she swung her legs around and into Hanabi's legs. Hanabi, already propelled forwards because of her attack, couldn't stop her fall. She did, however, quickly recover, the girl using her hands to flip forwards and back onto her feet. Hinata had skid to her hands and knees before managing to stand again, her left hand at her stomach as she panted, in taking air a little more easily again. It still hurt pretty badly, though... "Not bad...I didn't expect that."

"Hm," was Hinata's hummed reply. She could say the same of Hanabi's quick attack to her abdomen...

"But now you _die_!," Hanabi launched herself at Hinata again, palms at the ready. Hinata readied her own palms, deflecting Hanabi's attacks as they came...and they came _fast_. Every time Hanabi's hand came into contact with Hinata's left hand, the elder Hyuuga felt a sharp pain rush through her hand and up her arm. It was almost as if a blade had slid in through her hand to her elbow at every contact of her hand to Hanabi's. (Not to mention she noticed her hand and arm both hadn't stopped bleeding, blood dripping everywhere...) She tried not to wince at the contact, not to show her pain...but it quickly became unbearable. Hinata took a blow to her left shoulder purposely (and it hurt more than she expected it to...like a blade had pierced her shoulder!) so that she could block Hanabi's following hit with her left arm, Hinata using her right hand to make contact with Hanabi's ribcage. "Uggghhh..." Hanabi gasped and doubled over, eyes widened, as Hinata heard a semi-loud cracking sound.

Using her Byakugan, Hinata saw that she had broken two ribs on her right side and fractured another on the left. She also noticed something odd about Hanabi's right hand...the chakra flow...it was...peculiar. Taking a closer look, pressing harder on Hanabi's newly cracked ribs to ensure her immobility, she saw _exactly _what it was, her own eyes widening in shock. Hinata jumped back as Hanabi attempted to strike Hinata with her right hand. Her chakra! She'd formed it in the shape of a blade! How she was able to do this was beyond _her_...but it was dangerous! That means that her wound...and her shoulder...she couldn't chance a look at them! Hinata ignored the fact that she could feel blood seeping from her left arm and hand and she kept her eyes carefully focused on Hanabi as the younger girl gave a weak laugh. Hinata's right hand gingerly went to her left shoulder, her fingers finding a rip in her purple shirt and a shallow wound that was slightly bleeding.

"You _finally _noticed," Hanabi smirked, spitting blood off to the side and grimacing, a hand at her stomach, the other wiping a little blood from her lips. "Do you like it? I wanted to try it out before I showed father..."

"What _is _that technique?," Hinata asked, her brow furrowed as she watched Hanabi pull her hands away from herself.

"I call them chakra blades," Hanabi replied, her smirk widening as she pulled the normally invisible (well...invisible to the _normal _eye) chakra blades to the surface, Hinata's eyes widening as she did so. Using her Byakugan, she could see them clearly...they looked like blades coming out of the middle of Hanabi's palms...and they were made purely of her chakra. "I created this technique, myself, when I was practicing the eight trigrams sixty-four palms technique. I figured I'd use the same basic principles of pushing chakra from my palms and extending the length of the chakra...just in a..._different _way." (She was referring to the fact that, over time and _extensive _periods of training, the barrier-like sixty-four palms technique could be extended outwards to cover a larger area of land around the one performing the technique. It had taken their father several years just to get the barrier extended a mere _foot _away from his body...) Hinata stepped back one, shocked, when Hanabi raised her hands, the blades growing out, roughly a foot, in length. "Just like the eight trigrams technique, I can push my chakra outwards to, potentially, any length I desire...but I harnessed it so it takes a different form. It even takes a _lot _less time to master the pushing of the length." She retracted her blades, Hinata feeling a little unnerved at her little sister's secret technique. It was...it had potential to become _exceptionally _deadly... "I wonder if father will be proud...I took the defensive barrier technique mixed with the passive Gentle Fist Style Taijutsu and created an offensive sword-like blade technique. I never _was _much for defense anyway...being on the offense suits me better." Hinata swallowed hard, hesitating as something else came to mind...something that didn't quite make sense.

"Your chakra blade didn't break any of my bones," Hinata pointed out, staying a fair distance away from her sister. "It should have sliced right through them..."

"It _should _have," Hanabi agreed with a devious grin. "But I didn't want to do that yet...I kept the chakra flow very, _very _weak so all it did was open your wounds a little more and send some shocks through your nerves...I'm honestly surprised you lasted as long as you did against my blade..."

"I have a high pain tolerance," Hinata replied softly with a frown. It was unsettling to know her sister had been toying with her...

"I suppose you _would_...after training with _father_," Hanabi nodded her agreement thoughtfully. She shook it off. "That doesn't matter. I'm tired of playing around...I know that my technique is perfected now...I want to finish this." She pulled her palms back up, shocking Hinata when the blades appeared, growing two feet in length. _'Oh Kami_,' Hinata inwardly gasped. _'How can I knock her out without getting killed? I only have close-range techniques_...' Not given much time to think, Hanabi ran at her and Hinata ran out of her door...only to crash into Neji. Hinata hit him with enough force to send them both to the ground, Hinata whimpering as Neji grunted. She watched the blades slice through the air where they both stood only a second ago, a shiver running down Hinata's spine.

"Hinata, what-?!," Neji started, obviously startled.

"Use Byakugan," Hinata replied hurriedly, scrambling off of her shocked cousin and jumping off of the narrow wooden walkway (that ran throughout most of the Hyuuga Compound) and onto the dirty ground below.

Neji was shocked at the amount of blood on Hinata and her wounds (his white haori was stained red and wet from it)...not to mention the fact that she was _running away _from someone. He turned back towards her room in time to see Hanabi stepping out (her own white Hyuuga robes covered in blood, about as much as Hinata was...), his eyes widening as he realized just _why _Hinata said to use his Byakugan. She had chakra flaring from her hands in a very...odd manner. Her chakra almost looked like _blades _coming from her hands!

"Oh Hinata...," Hanabi smirked maliciously as she stepped out of Hinata's room, blades extended. "Why are you running? ...Face your fate, you coward!"

"What are you doing, Hanabi?," Neji asked as calmly as he could as he got up, the man internally a little wary of the whole situation. Hanabi trying to kill Hinata wasn't anything new (he always helped Hinata take care of Hanabi when she couldn't handle it, herself)...but the chakra coming from her hands was new and _could _be problematic...

"If you can't figure it out, you're _stupid_," Hanabi snorted simply. She pointed her blade at him, the man stiffening as it rose with her hand, the blade only an inch or so from his face. "Interfere and I'll kill _you_, too." He frowned.

"And if your father interferes?," Neji chanced. A slow smirk curled at Hanabi's lips.

"I'll make sure to kill you and Hinata _both _before he stops me," Hanabi answered, getting a disgruntled hum from the man before she turned her attention back to the cautious Hinata. "Come, _dear _sister...let's end this once and for _all_!" Hanabi winced a little as she bent down and jumped off of the landing, towards Hinata. Hinata, on the other hand, ran. Neji watched Hanabi chase Hinata off towards the training grounds within the Hyuuga Compound.

"Death threat or not...Hiashi-san _needs _to know of this," Neji muttered, using his Byakugan as a guide as he went in search of his uncle.

"Ahh!," Hinata gasped as she sharply turned a corner, leaping back onto a walkway and ignoring all pain and protesting from her body. She didn't have time for that! She. _Had_. To. _Run_! The Hyuuga training grounds was the best place to go to keep Hanabi from hurting anyone else...and she might be able to corner her there without getting killed. (If she was _extremely _careful and played her cards right, that is.)

"Coward!," Hanabi's cry rang out behind her, Hinata chancing a look back. She was running, but at a _much _slower speed than normal, hints of pain on her face. (Not to mention her crooked nose was turning black and blue...) Now Hinata was _really _glad she'd broken the girl's ribs...it would give her a little time and edge that she would need in order to render her unconscious. She also idly noticed that Hanabi had her swords out...barely, but they were there. She was expending extra chakra. Good. Turning back to the pathways ahead, she calculated how much distance she had left to cover until she reached the training grounds (not much), the girl idly glancing at her arm. The wound looked like it had been torn open, which it _had _been...and it wasn't bleeding as badly. It seemed like it was _finally _clotting. She was _really _glad, because she was getting slightly light-headed...and she was _almost _sure it was from blood loss. (Well...that and hunger. She realized that she hadn't eaten anything since lunch the previous day...so she had to ignore her hunger pains, as well. It didn't help that her stomach was still sore from the beating Hanabi gave it...)

"There...," Hinata panted, the training grounds in sight. She _almost _smiled in relief...but she quickly remembered that _this _was the easy part..._now _came the hard part. She had to knock Hanabi out without getting killed. _**'Fun**_,' she mentally groaned, quickly devising several different tactics based on what her sister might do in retaliation to her attacks. Glad that the oval-shaped grounds were free of Hyuugas (_and _wooden walkways...), Hinata quickly ran into the grounds and skid to a stop, the girl waiting for her sister within the very center of the grounds. She panted softly, licking her dry lips once as she watched her sister find her, smirk, and speed up a little. It didn't take her long to skid to her own stop at the walkway nearest the training grounds.

"If you wanted to die honorably out in the open like this, you should've just said something," Hanabi half-teased. "I would be _more _than happy to kill you in front of on-lookers." Hinata frowned at her morbid joke, the younger Hyuuga wincing again as she jumped into the oval-shaped training grounds with her. Hinata's palms started to sweat from her nervousness and not knowing whether or not she would be able to pull this off. Her left hand burned and stung with the sweat, the girl having to keep back her wince of pain. '_Part one: goad and taunt her into reckless action_,' Hinata mentally went over the first part of her plan, the only constant part that went unchanged no matter _what _happened. It wasn't in her nature to taunt _anyone_...but she was willing to do whatever she needed to do right now...

"Come at me, then...if you think you can beat me," Hinata started in on her taunting, the elder Hyuuga watching a spark of anger flicker in the younger one's eyes. Hinata guarded herself completely, her eyes and emotions hidden as she pulled the stoic facade of their father.

"Oh I don't _think _so...I _know _so," Hanabi hissed at her, Hinata forcing herself to stand still as she approached.

"Is that so?," Hinata replied almost boredly.

"Yes, it _is_," Hanabi responded simply, drawing on her chakra blades. Hinata held her breath, watching Hanabi carefully and anticipating her moves. First was a swipe from the left. Hinata was very precise in her movements, only moving enough to dodge her swing. Then came a slash from the right. Again, Hinata moved out of the way just in time, frustrating her sister a little. Hanabi kept swinging her blades at her and Hinata was very careful to dodge and move accordingly. As Hinata anticipated, Hanabi became more frustrated and frantic with her swings...reckless. Hinata kept moving backwards, luring her back...until Hinata was cornered against a wall. "I've got you now." Hanabi smirked evilly, swinging both her blades at once. Hinata had anticipated this, as well, planning for her next move. One of Hanabi's blades swung low and the other at eye-level. Since she couldn't slide under them, she had to jump. She did that as swiftly as she could, landing just behind a startled Hanabi.

"I'm not dead yet," Hinata whispered as tauntingly as she could into her ear, Hanabi bristling in anger and shock. Hanabi swung back wildly a couple seconds too late, Hinata using her speed to her advantage and moving away as quickly as she could, making it back to the center of the grounds. Now _this _was the harder part...now that Hanabi was worked up and not thinking properly...her movements would be harder to predict... '_Okay...now I have to keep dodging until she runs out of chakra_,' Hinata mentally prepared herself. '_She's using it recklessly, so it __**should **__be soon...and __**then **__I can render her unconscious_.'

"_Bitch_!," Hanabi yelled. "I'll show _you _who's not dead yet!" It was about _then _that Hinata idly noticed that they were drawing a crowd... Hanabi came at her, swinging her blades wildly. Hinata warily noticed that Hanabi's blades had grown a couple inches in length as she dodged to the best of her ability (Hanabi's chakra was starting to flare a bit wildly, causing her blades to elongate), Hanabi's swings coming faster and harder as they danced around the training grounds. Hinata began fighting back then, getting a hit in few and far in between. It was hard to get close to Hanabi...and it was getting increasingly harder to dodge the swings of her blades. Hinata knew she couldn't dodge _every _hit...it came down to just figuring out how to dodge the worst of it. Hinata did the best she could, Hanabi smirking when she got her first hit in- a nick to Hinata's right hand. It was small and barely bled, the cut on her thumb. "You're _mine_!" Hanabi swung both blades at once, Hinata managing to duck down in time. Hinata made sure to go down at an angle, her hands out behind her. In doing this, Hinata used her momentum to smoothly slide into a handstand, launching her legs up, her right foot coming in contact with a shocked Hanabi's jaw. "Mmmnnffff!" Hanabi moved back and Hinata flipped back onto her feet again. Both girls were too intently focused on their battle to notice the arrival of a couple new guests...

"Why are they fighting?," Hiashi asked Neji, both men staring out intently at the girls as they moved to the forefront of the crowd.

"I don't know why," Neji admitted softly. "Hanabi-san just said that she was out to kill Hinata-san again...and she looked serious this time."

"She is," Hiashi revealed, watching as Hanabi recovered and went after Hinata again. Hinata was back on the defense, swiftly and gracefully dodging this way and that. "And Hinata is, as well..."

"Hm," Neji nodded his concurrence to that, never having seen his cousin fight this seriously before...except on a couple missions. "Are you going to stop the fight?"

"Only if one _actually _gets close to killing the other," Hiashi revealed, crossing his arms over his chest. Neji glanced at him in slight surprise, noticing his Byakugan was activated. "I want to observe Hanabi's new technique..." Neji merely nodded with a light hum as he looked back out at the fighting girls, watching as Hinata took a hit to her right arm. It wasn't deep or long, but it bled a bit, dripping down her arm. The cut was, maybe, about a hand's length down the center of her arm.

"Mmhhh," Hinata made a small sound with a little wince as Hanabi's sword cut her arm, the stinging making her fingers flex involuntarily.

"Gotcha again," Hanabi grinned, her attacks getting a little more frantic. "Just a little more..." Hinata was finding it even _harder _to dodge...though she noticed something that gave her hope. Hanabi's blades were starting to retract a very little at a time...she was _finally _running out of chakra! Hinata kept her smile back as she dodged, taking a hit to her right leg (a diagonal slash from just below her knee to nearly her ankle, blood running down like it had with her arm), a slash to her tummy (it was straight across, just above her navel, and was _very _shallow, barely bleeding), and a nick to her chin (like the nick to her thumb in size and the fact that it barely bled). By this point, both girls were _really _tired, both slowing down to some degree. The final hit Hinata took was to her right shoulder, just below her collar bone. Hanabi smirked as her sword went all the way through and out of the back of Hinata's shoulder (Hinata was just glad she hadn't cried out...the pain was excruciating...), her wound bleeding profusely, and blood trickling from the girl's lips. Hanabi couldn't help but notice the pallid hue to Hinata's skin with a sadistic smirk. "Let's end this!" She yanked her hand and blade back from Hinata's shoulder, the girl staggering a little. She went to strike Hinata again, but she was stopped by Hinata's hand on her wrist. "Let go!" She attempted to use her other hand, Hinata grabbing _that _wrist, as well.

"This is the end, Hanabi," Hinata spoke softly, having seen the blades fully retract. She doubted Hanabi was aware of this fact...

"Shut it!," Hanabi growled, launching forwards, her hands contacting with Hinata's chest...and nothing happened. No wince, no blood, no death...Hinata just smiled at her younger sister.

"You've run out of chakra," Hinata informed her, Hanabi shocked as she pulled her hands back, Hinata letting her. She was right...the blades wouldn't form. "Do you concede to me?" Hanabi's head snapped back up, her blazing white eyes on her elder sister, the younger girl belatedly realizing what she had done. Hanabi fumed as she realized that Hinata had toyed with her until she had expended the last of her chakra. _'That...that...that bitch_!,' Hanabi thought angrily, unable to come up with anything better.

"No way in _hell _would I _ever _admit defeat _willingly _to _you_!," Hanabi growled angrily, pushing back and slipping a hand back into her kunai pouch. Before she could even grab a kunai, Hinata had used a little chakra to speed over and gently force some of it on a pressure point in Hanabi's neck, the girl immediately passing out. Hinata easily caught her and held her close, feeling a little unsteady with all the weight, as weak as she was now. She sighed in relief, glad that the battle was over and she came out alive. Then...there was applause. Hinata blinked as she looked up, seeing the crowd that had gathered, Neji and her father at the very front of the crowd. Somehow (after all her blood loss), her cheeks managed to tinge red in embarrassment. She hadn't even noticed them...

"Here...," Neji approached her first, Hiashi close behind. "Give Hanabi-san to me. I'll run her to the infirmary."

"Mmmnn," Hinata hummed and nodded, handing the heavy girl to Neji. He pulled her into his arms bridal style, his white haori and black hakama getting lightly stained with her blood. Hinata staggered again, feeling heavy on her feet. She was stopped and supported by two very strong, large, warm, calloused hands. Hinata's weary white eyes slowly looked upwards as white came into view, the girl seeing her father standing there. "F-Father..."

"Easy, Hinata," Hiashi spoke almost gently, Hinata witnessing a rare flicker of worry through his guarded white orbs. "We need to get _you _to the infirmary, as well." He was about to ask if she could walk there when he realized she could no longer fully support herself on her own. (She was injured too badly and she was bleeding too much- her skin was a frightening pale shade that almost blended into her pure white eyes, her normally vibrant pink lips a muted pale pink tone that bordered on white.) She nodded and attempted to stand alone, but faltered. He caught her again and pulled her into his arms bridal style. Hinata moaned softly in pain as he did so, (embarrassedly) letting her body go limp against him. She felt light-headed and slightly dizzy now, figuring that she would soon pass out. Hiashi came to the same realization soon after, Hinata's body steadily getting heavier against him as he moved swiftly through the hushed and parted crowd of Hyuugas. "Can you tell me why you and Hanabi were fighting?" He kept moving towards the infirmary, but he also kept glancing down at Hinata.

"Mmmmhh," Hinata hummed softly in thought, trying to stay conscious as her eyelids got heavier. "Hanabi...she barged into...my room this morning...just after...I woke." Hiashi peered down at her in obvious surprise. "She said...she had heard...you speaking with a...carpenter." She hissed in pain as her injured leg hit the side of a wall. Hiashi mentally berated himself as he paid more attention to the walkway ahead of him. "About the wedding...she knows the date...I don't know what else...she was serious...about killing me this time." She shifted so that her head was comfortably in the crook of her father's neck, sighing softly as she inhaled his comforting earthy scent. "The fight escalated...and I knew I had to...take it somewhere safer...I lured her here...and made her expend...all her chakra...so I could knock her out..." Hinata's eyes slid shut, the girl unable to hold them open any longer.

"Alright," Hiashi replied thoughtfully, inwardly proud of Hinata. He was _well _aware of Hanabi's notorious attempts at Hinata's life for leadership of the clan...but she had never _truly _given it her all...before that battle he had just witnessed. _'They fought for naught_,' he thought, feeling a tad guilty now. '_With our previous decision, Hinata isn't, technically, the heiress anymore. Of course, naming either Hanabi or Neji the heiress or heir of the clan falls on __**me **__now...' _He sighed. _'But...Hanabi got worked up for nothing. She nearly __**killed **__Hinata_...' His stomach churned at the thought. '_And Hinata defended her title as heiress without knowing it was completely unnecessary...' _He peeked down at the girl, seeing her eyes closed now. '_The fact that she __**did**__, rather than giving in to her sister, as she used to, says great things about Hinata and her growth. And Hinata did very well against her, too...' _He picked up his speed, feeling her slack a little more against him. _'She will be a good start to her future clan. A good leader. Speaking of which, I will have to remind her again to try for Jounin_...'

(Hinata was still a Chunin in class, but he was sure now that she was, at _least_, a Jounin. She had just proven this, _again, _in that battle with Hanabi. He had encouraged her to try before, but she had said she wasn't ready yet. She had wanted to make sure that she had enough all-around training and that she would be a good teacher and team leader for the three-man team of Genin she would receive soon after her promotion. He understood and respected her reason and decision...but that was a year ago. She was much stronger now than she was then. It was about time to get on her about it...after she recovered, that is.)

"Hinata," He looked down at his daughter, not wanting her to go completely to sleep.

"Mmmmhhh," Hinata hummed softly, her eyes still closed. He took that as a, 'you have my attention'. He paid attention to the walkways again as he ran through the Compound.

"Stay with me, alright?," Hiashi asked gently. He got another hum in response. "What was that technique Hanabi was using? It was not something I've seen before..." She hummed again and he frowned. "Hinata, wake up." He gently shook her. Her eyes slowly slipped open, a hazy look within. "What was that technique Hanabi used?"

"Mmnnnhhh," she protested her awakening softly. "Chakra blades...she called them...chakra blades..."

"Chakra blades?," he asked softly, his brow furrowing. "Did she develop it on her own or did she have help?"

"Alone," Hinata replied just as softly, straining to keep her eyes open. "It's a mix of...the eight trigrams...sixty-four palms technique...and the Gentle Fist style...same basic principles...just applied differently...to make blades from her chakra...and push them out..."

"I...see," Hiashi acknowledged what she had said aloud, a little amazed at Hanabi's technique, but he was also vexed at her for it, as well. She almost killed Hinata with it, for one, and, secondly, she hadn't told him about this technique, which was _completely _unacceptable. If it were another person in the clan, someone of lower status, it wouldn't be such a big deal...but she was of the main line. The main line had to tell him _everything _so it could be recorded. _She _didn't. Harming Hinata with it was bad enough...now he was _really _going to have to punish her... "You did very well against her, Hinata. Especially with that being a new, and very dangerous, technique." Hinata couldn't help the smile that crossed her face at his praise as she let her eyes slide closed again. "Hinata?" She didn't answer him this time, the man looking down at her. She was out. "Dammit..." At least they were close to the infirmary now... Hiashi sped the rest of the way to the detached Hyuuga mini-hospital, turning and pushing the door open with his back and immediately turning after, rushing in.

"Here, Hiashi-sama," a nurse spoke from nearby, a stretcher on wheels in front of her. "Set her here and I'll rush her on back." A little surprised, though pleasantly, Hiashi nodded and quickly set his daughter on the stretcher, the nurse strapping her down. Neji must've alerted them that he was on the way with Hinata... "I will contact you once we finish examining and bandaging her."

"Hn," He hummed and nodded as she inclined her head respectfully and rushed off through the double doors into the back of the hospital with Hinata, another nurse, which he hadn't noticed, tagging along behind her. And now...it was all in the hands of the medic nin.

"Is she going to be alright, Hiashi-sama?," Neji asked from behind Hiashi, the man turning back to the slightly worried-looking younger man.

"I think so," Hiashi nodded. "She has lost a lot of blood...but she doesn't have any mortal wounds, from what I've seen. I have confidence in our medical nin and their abilities. She will be alright." Neji simply nodded. He was worried, but if Hiashi was sure she would be alright, then he would trust his uncle's judgment.

"Would you like to sit?," Neji pointed back to two unoccupied waiting area chairs. Hiashi hummed and nodded, both men going over and sitting in the nice semi-comfortable padded wooden chairs with a sigh. Neji fidgeted a moment, a question lingering in his mind. "Hiashi-sama?" The man hummed to show he had his attention. "Hinata-san said you had a meeting with another clan leader this afternoon, a meeting that included _her_. Will you still be able to hold it, or would you like me to go and ask for it to be rescheduled?" Hiashi appreciated Neji's thoughtfulness of the matter, the man thinking on it a long moment before answering.

"I'm not sure yet," Hiashi admitted a bit softly, a hand at his lips as he thought about it. "We really need to have the meeting _today_...considering what is to happen _tomorrow_." Neji tilted his head to the side slightly, wondering what in the world was going on. Hiashi looked up at a large clock on the opposite wall, reading the time off silently. Seven fifteen. "We still have, exactly, six hours and fifteen minutes to the meeting... Hmmm..." He debated a moment more with himself. "If she isn't conscious by an hour before, I will send you to delay the meeting until later. If she _is _conscious before then, it will depend on her ability to either get up and out of here or stay conscious throughout the duration of the meeting whether we hold the meeting at the specified time or not. If it comes down to it, we will hold the meeting in her hospital room. We need to have this done _today_."

"This must be a serious meeting," Neji commented, a light frown on his face. He didn't agree with forcing Hinata into such a meeting, horribly injured or not...

"It is," Hiashi confirmed, a serious gleam to his eyes as he turned to Neji. White met white and the younger Hyuuga felt a little more worried about the situation. "This meeting determines the very future of the clan." Neji hummed softly, a bit unhappily. Hiashi suddenly thought of something, quickly coming to a resolute resolution. He actually almost smiled at his thoughts and decision. Neji shifted a little, feeling the odd sudden change of Hiashi's mood. "Actually...it involves others, too..." Neji blinked in surprise. "In a while, I will need you to attend the start of the meeting. A little after, I will have you go and retrieve two others who will also be involved." Neji sat back, completely confused.

"What does this have to do with _me_?," Neji asked, his brow furrowed. Hiashi slowly let a smirk cross his lips, Neji bristling a little with the odd mischievous glint to his eyes.

"You will see," Hiashi replied simply. "Can I ask you to retrieve two others later?"

"Of course...," Neji inclined his head respectfully, wracking his mind for what this could _possibly _be about. So far, he had _nothing_, absolutely _no _ideas...

"Good, I'm glad," Hiashi inclined his head, sitting straight back in his seat and facing forwards. "For now...we wait."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama," Neji responded respectfully, as he was expected to. All the while, he had to wonder...what the _hell _was this about? He'd had his suspicions of certain things...but now he was just totally and utterly thrown off... '_I hope you aren't in any kind of trouble, Hinata_...,' he spoke silently within the confines of his mind. '_I'm not so sure this will end well if you are_...' Left to his thoughts, Neji pondered all the different reasons this could possibly be happening and all of the possible people he could be bringing into this... He sat back and sighed. '_I hope you wake up soon, Hinata_...'

With that, it was silent for a long while...

Xp

Shino took a slightly nervous breath as he stood before the large house that belonged to the Inuzuka clan of Konoha. Only a few moments had passed since he had left from his own home. _'Please...__**please**__...let this go over better than I've been imagining it to_,' he silently prayed as he forced his legs to move towards the house. It only took a few seconds for him to move so that he was standing right in front of the door. With hesitance, he lifted his knuckle as to knock on the door...and the door slid opened before he even had the chance to rap on it. Kiba, in a long black shirt, black pants, and his usual fur-lined jacket, was the one who stood there. He looked at Shino, then back inside, then back at Shino quickly.

"What the fuck happened to you hair?," Kiba asked immediately, Shino letting out a small sigh, inwardly groaning.

"Language!," a strong female voice scolded from behind Kiba. That voice could only belong to one person- Kiba's older sister, Hana.

"Yeow!," Kiba yelped as his head lurched forwards and a feminine hand, revealed, disappeared back inside. Shino raised a brow, slightly amused. Hana slowly came around Kiba, shaking her head and opening the door a little more as the man grumbled and rubbed the back of his head gently. She looked at Shino a moment, making the man slightly uncomfortable.

"Your hair looks good," Hana complimented, surprising him a little. "Kiba's just an idiot. You should wear it like that more often." Shino merely hummed his thanks and inclined his head, his high-collared jacket hiding his slight flush as his cheeks burned lightly.

"What happened, though, seriously?," Kiba asked, his gaze scrutinizing as he looked his hair over. Shino felt a little self-conscious about it now...

"I ran out of hair gel...father, too," Shino explained briefly. "The shop we buy our hair gel from doesn't open until ten." They took a moment to absorb that, Hana looking unfazed as she nodded and Kiba looking curious, an almost mischievous look crossing his face. _That _made Shino wary...

"Does that mean Shibi's runnin' around somewhere with his hair like yours?," Kiba asked, surprising Shino a little.

"No...he woke up before I did and used the last of the hair gel on his own hair," Shino replied slowly, wondering what he was up to.

"Damn!," Kiba swore, hissing when his sister hit him in the back of the head again. "Would you stop that?!"

"When you stop cursing I will," Hana retorted. He grumbled, looking back at Shino a bit testily.

"I wanted to mess with Shibi a little," Kiba admitted softly. Shino's brow rose. It wasn't surprising, really, seeing how Kiba used to come over on a regular basis and he and his father could and _would _snip at each other and tease one another for hours...

"Idiot," Hana sighed, making Kiba bristle again. He was about to retort when she cut him off, looking back at Shino. "I'm sorry, Shino-kun. You came here for something, didn't you?" Shino had almost forgotten...

"Mmmnn," Shino hummed and nodded, turning his shades back to Kiba. "I wanted to talk to you, Kiba. It's about Hinata."

"Huh?," Kiba blinked and thought a moment. "Oh wait! Did you figure out what's up with her and why she was acting all weird?" Shino nodded again. "Awesome." Kiba smiled at his friend, making him feel worse about what he was going to have to tell him. That nagging feeling of betrayal came back with a vengeance... "I'm going out with Shino for a while. Be back before lunch!" He slipped his shoes on as he spoke, looking back at his sister as he stepped out the door, Shino having stepped aside for him.

"Alright," Hana nodded. "See you in a while. Bye Shino-kun."

"Bye," Shino inclined his head to Hana.

"See ya," Kiba waved and grabbed Shino's coat with his other hand. Before Shino knew what was happening, Kiba had whisked them back to their old training grounds with his transportation jutsu. Luckily, no one was there... "Alright. Now, talk! What's up with Hinata and what can we do to make her alright again?" Kiba leaned against a nearby tree, crossing his arms over his chest. His foul mood was making things _that _much harder for Shino...

"There's nothing we can do this time, Kiba," Shino spoke slowly, contemplatively, as he nudged his shades up his nose.

"Whaddya mean there's _nothin_' we can do?," Kiba steamed, his brows furrowed in slight confusion and anger. "We've _always _been there for her before...there's _gotta _be something we can do _this _time, too." His frown deepened. "_Now fess up_." Shino sighed, his stomach churning with nerves. Shino had pondered his wording of the matter the entire way to Kiba's to where they were now...and he still didn't know how to break it to him easily. He hesitated, the silence becoming more and more intense, almost smothering... "C'mon!" Kiba was getting impatient and Shino made a quick decision. Probably not the best, but...

"We're getting married," Shino blurted out, watching carefully and cautiously as Kiba's eyes widened. "That is why Hinata was acting oddly yesterday...why she couldn't stay around us. I didn't know about it until I talked with my father last night."

"Shino," Kiba spoke up a bit harshly, making him flinch. "That's a bad joke." For a moment, Shino was taken aback. Why in the world did he think this was a _joke_?

"Kiba, I'm serious," Shino replied softly.

"Did Shibi put you up to this? 'Cause it's not funny," Kiba snapped back at him. _'This is going __**worse **__than I had imagined_,' Shino thought silently, swallowing hard. Denial was _not _a good start...and Kiba's anger and irritation didn't help, either...

"Kiba...," Shino started and stopped, the words dying on his lips. It was even more tensely silent for a long moment. "I'm sorry...I _am _telling you the truth." Kiba's frown deepened and he looked even more irritable than before.

"Prove it," came Kiba's challenge. Shino knew as soon as he outed it, he would probably be attacked...but he _had _to do it...

"Fine," Shino replied almost tiredly. He fingered his shades a moment, slightly hesitantly, before slowly taking them off. He could see the surprise registering in Kiba's features as he did so, folding the shades and slipping them into a pocket in his jacket. He _very _rarely removed them. "My eyes cannot lie...I believe you already understand this, though." Kiba managed a curt nod. It was the reason Aburames hid their eyes- it was the _only _part of them that they couldn't physically make stoic. Their weakness, so to say. _His _weakness. "Hinata and I have been arranged to wed. Our fathers did this while we were away on that last mission-!" Shino didn't get to say any more; a fist connected with his jaw and he was sent flying backwards.

Kiba was furious...no, he was _more _than furious! This was the worst day _ever_! And it was still _early_, too! First, his sister woke him up early for a stupid reason, then Akamaru bit his left leg when he was trying to check on him! He had to help with the stupid chores, and now _this_! _That _was his last straw, and this was the _worst _thing yet! Shino was the _perfect _person to take his frustrations out on now...and he might not live to tell the tale, either...

"You fucker!," Kiba growled, on him again before he even got a chance to stand up. "You _know _how I feel about her!" Kiba's fist slammed into Shino's abdomen, his eyes widening as he gasped for breath as Kiba knocked the air from his body. His fists collided with his body a few more times and the pain was _pretty _excruciating...but the pain in Kiba's eyes...it looked worse than what he was being dealt. Shino found that he couldn't look away from Kiba's eyes...all the pain, betrayal, and fury blazing forth to the forefront of his mind and body, strengthening his resolve and attacks. After being pulled to his feet, pushed into a standing position against a tree, and beaten like a punching bag (Shino _let _Kiba hit him- he deserved a _little _beating for this, at least...), he realized something very important that disturbed him a bit.

Kiba was going to kill him. Murder was written plainly in his eyes...a glimpse of sorrow beneath it all.

Shino wasn't ready to die. Yes, he believed he deserved a beating from Kiba...but not death. This was something he didn't have a choice in, after all. He wasn't doing to this to _purposely _anger or hurt the Inuzuka...

"Kiba," Shino managed to rasp out, still a bit breathless from the barrage of hits as he slid to the side, willing his bristling Kikkaichu to stay inside him and not attack his friend. Kiba's fist connected with the tree as Shino hit the ground, the man glad he'd slid away...Kiba's fist went straight through the tree and to the other side. He idly noted that Kiba's fist was bleeding...and his own body was throbbing, in places, and protesting his movement already... "This isn't my fault- I don't _want _to do this!"

"Then why don't you do something to stop it?!," Kiba yelled, ripping his arm from the tree and looking at him darkly.

"I _can't_!," Shino yelled back, crawling backwards a little as Kiba started to slowly saunter towards him. Ok...it wasn't the _complete _truth on that one, but he had _good _reason for not trying to do something about it... His eyes flickered with the lie and Kiba's eyes darkened in hatred.

"Liar!," Kiba growled, moving to kick him. Shino rolled to the side, barely avoiding the kick, and got to his hands and knees quickly before pushing back to get to his feet. Kiba's fist met his face again, and Shino grunted as he was sent back into a tree just behind him, the man holding onto it to stay standing. The coppery tang of blood caught Shino's attention, the man spitting it to the side, keeping his gaze locked on Kiba as the furious man panted heavily and curled his hands into fists so tight that they drew blood from his palms. "What can you do to stop this? What are you hiding?!" Before he could answer, Kiba was at him again, fists raised and poised to attack. Shino stumbled to the side, fully regaining his breath (finally!) as he looked back at Kiba, who had punched a dent into the tree and was looking back at him in spite.

"Anything I try to do now will only hurt Hinata," Shino attempted to explain somewhat gently but forcefully enough to get the point across. That was the whole truth, and he knew Kiba would know, keeping careful contact with his eyes. Kiba's frown deepened.

"What kind of bullshit is _that_?!," Kiba snorted, coming at him again. Shino let out a breath, dodging the Inuzuka's attacks left and right.

"It's the truth!," Shino bit back at him.

"I don't believe you!," Kiba snarled at him, his attacks getting faster and harder to dodge. "I _can't _trust you...you lying sack of shit!" Shino frowned at the insult and felt a little stung at his words, but he kept dodging, Kiba keeping him on his toes. He still had to _try _to tell him, at least...

"There's only _one _way out of this," Shino started, preforming a backflip and leaping back into a tree the moment his feet touched the ground. "That would be for me to fight my father and Hiashi _both _to get out of this."

"SHUT UP!," Kiba yelled, jumping up and attempting to hit him. Shino slipped down the backside of the tree with ease, landing on his feet.

"I don't think I can do that, Kiba," Shino admitted, the man using the branch Shino just stood on to launch himself towards the Aburame. Shino backed away far enough that he wouldn't get hit, Kiba hitting the ground with his fist and creating a small crater. "Even if I _did _manage to beat them both, what would happen to Hinata?"

"Nothing, you freak!," Kiba growled, lunging at him again. Shino kept to blocking and dodging, glad to know that he was listening. (Shino had given this thought the night before, knowing this was the reason he couldn't, and _wouldn't_, get out of the arranged marriage. The _only _reason he wasn't fighting back against their fathers...)

"Wrong," Shino shook his head a little, dodging Kiba's fists and landing a fairly hard blow to the shocked Inuzuka's ribcage. He let out a labored breath and Shino jumped back as the man held his stomach and keeled over a little. "Do you remember what Hiashi used to do to Hinata when she disobeyed?" He gave the man a minute, Kiba finally looking back up at him, rage blazing in his eyes. "He would punish her, hurt her. I cannot allow him to do this to her again...especially because of something that _I _did." Kiba's eyes searched Shino's, looking for some small hint of deception as Shino kept his sincere gaze on Kiba.

_'He's telling the truth_,' Kiba growled within the confines of his mind, upset. '_I don't want Hinata to __**ever **__suffer like that again, either, though...I don't like this...at __**all**__...'_ Kiba let out a shuttering breath as he stood and thought a moment, looking back down at the ground. '_I mean...I've already realized that we'll never...she and I can never...because she just...doesn't like me the same way __**I **__like __**her**_...' His demeanor saddened, the Inuzuka carefully keeping his face hidden from Shino. Kiba had talked with Hinata about it in a roundabout way before, getting that she loved him like an older brother and always would...and he'd just said the same about her, but that she was like his younger sister. She was still clueless to his true intentions of the conversation (his finding out if she could ever love him the same way he loved her), he made sure she was. '_But I dunno if I'm alright with Shino being with her. ...And it's just __**too **__coincidental, her talking about her fear of arranged marriages, then __**bam**__! She's in one with Shino. This whole situation __**reeks**__...of what, exactly, I'm not sure yet. Was Hinata trying to tell me about her arranged marriage subtly yesterday? Or did she __**really **__just have a bad feeling about it? Did Shino have this arranged with his dad behind her back?' _He seethed at that thought. _'Either way, Shino's guilty_.' He looked up at the mostly stoic Aburame, Kiba a little surprised to see guilt in his eyes, as well as misery, discomfort, and a pained look that was hard for him to look at. _'Maybe he __**is **__being forced into it like Hinata's being forced into it...either way...I'm going to get some frustration out. I'm still taking it out on __**him**__!_.'

Shino had carefully watched Kiba, the Inuzuka's eyes guarded as he finally looked back up at Shino. It felt like hours to Shino before Kiba _finally _responded to his words...

"That may be true," Kiba growled out, glaring at the surprised Shino. "But I'm _still _going to kick your sorry ass!"

"Very well," Shino replied simply, his eyes holding a saddened gleam before he donned his shades again. Kiba lunged at him and began the fight all over again, kunai in hand as Shino fought back this time. One last thought resounded through Shino's mind before he fully focused on the futile battle that could only end badly.

'_I wish I had brought my ninja gear after all_...'

**End of Chapter 3 **

,0

No big cliffy at the end, but questions remain...will Shino and Kiba make up? Or will they both wind up in the hospital? Will Shino be able to make it to the meeting? Will Hinata awaken in time for the meeting? Will Hiashi have to wake her up? What will happen at the meeting? Why on earth is Hiashi making Neji and two others attend the meeting with them? Who _are _the two others?

Well...I guess you'll just have to stick around for the next chapter to find out, huh? XD

**Just a quick little note**- I don't know if the eight trigrams sixty-four palms technique can actually expand or not, but that's something I'm going to put in the story (true to the series or not) to help some things along with techniques. (Did you like Hanabi's chakra blades? I made that one up, myself! ^.^ I hope, I hope, I hope, no other characters in the actual series has that technique (or something similar) or I'll have to give disclaimer to Masashi Kishimoto and/or the anime directors on that one... v.v I would be very sad...I worked well over a day on that scene and that technique...)

By the way, I _am _sorry for the late release of this chapter. I thought I would be able to post a new one every two weeks, but it's looking like it's going to be one update a month. I'll try to make either long chapters or update two at a time (_if _I have 'em done- I _may _do a one-shot or two on the side so I don't stress too much over this fanfic...). I'm _really _sorry about that...

Belated Happy Halloween, guys!

Please review!

Thanks for reading!

**Sneak Peek at Chapter 4:**

_Shino hit the ground with a grunt, Kiba lying not too far away. Both men were beaten, slightly bloodied (Shino more than Kiba), and worse for wear. The most visible of their wounds was a large bruse the size of Kiba's fist on Shino's right cheek and Kiba's left eye was bruised and swollen shut._

_"Truce?," Shino asked Kiba as he looked over at the exhausted man, his weary Kikkaichu slowly filtering back into his body._

_"Truce," Kiba nodded once. Shino sighed in slight contentment as he laid back. Kiba __**finally **__accepted it...thank Kami! "...Hey, Shino." The Aburame hummed in response, looking over at his fallen friend. "Did your dads both __**really **__arrange this without either of your knowing about it? Take yer damn shades off before you answer." Shino let out a choked soft laugh at the odd normalcy of Kiba's speech, slowly lifting his heavy arms and pulling his shades from his face._

_"Yes, Kiba...it was __**completely **__without either of our knowing and without __**either **__of our consent," Shino inclined his head. Kiba studied his eyes a long moment before he shook his head and opted to look up at the sky._

_"Damn...I'm going to have to beat Shibi a new one," Kiba replied slowly, Shino taking amusement in that thought as he replaced his shades on his nose. "Another thing..." Kiba snapped his head back to look at the surprised Shino, his brow raised to show it. "Why the __**hell**__...didn't you put on your ninja gear? Do you have a __**death wish **__or somethin'?"_

_"I didn't want you to feel threatened," Shino answered honestly. "If I came here with my gear on, you would have been more inclined to attack and less trusting of me and my intentions."_

_"Nuh-unh," Kiba argued, shaking his head at him._

_"__**Really**__?," Shino deadpanned, looking at Kiba with a disbelieving look and a raised brow. Kiba hesitated and flushed lightly as he looked back up at the sky._

_"Okay, okay, maybe you're right," Kiba admitted, Shino inclining his head and looking up at the sky, as well. The sun was almost at its apex...just how much time had passed? "Know-it-all jackass." The last was mumbled, but it was quiet enough that Shino heard it clear as day._

_"I just know __**you**__, Kiba, that's all," Shino responded to his mumble, slightly shocking him. He looked back at the Aburame, Shino looking back at him, as well. "Just like __**you **__know __**me**__...__**and **__Hinata. We've been friends since the academy...we've become...vaguely predictable to one another."_

_"Only __**vaguely**__?," Kiba smirked._

_"__**Very **__predictable, then," Shino let a small smile through, knowing that they could pretty much anticipate __**anything **__that the other two of their team did or said._

_"__**That's **__more like it," Kiba nodded. "That also means that you came here to talk to me, __**knowing **__that I would attack you like I did...__**and **__that it would end like this."_

_"I had __**hoped **__it would end like this," Shino nodded once. "I wasn't sure..." Kiba bobbed his head a little in understanding. "Are you alright with this?" There was slight hesitance in Shino's voice when he asked...but he __**had **__to know. Kiba frowned and thought on it a moment before answering._

_"Not entirely," he admitted. "I mean...I know I can trust you to take care of her and all...and I beat you up, so I feel a __**little **__better about it. But...I still need time to accept it." Shino nodded understandingly. "Are __**you **__alright with it?" Well...__**that **__was an unexpected question..._

_"I don't know," Shino replied softly, looking back up at the sky. "I don't mind standing at her side and protecting her...but...marriage...is another issue __**entirely**__..."_

_"It won't be __**that **__bad," Kiba snorted, Shino frowning lightly as he turned back to his friend. "I mean...just keep up the friendship we've had with her for years...and screwing her at night won't be bad at __**all**__...lucky bastard." Shino felt his cheeks heat up as he looked away again and sat up so his coat covered up his flushed face. Kiba blinked at him in slight surprise._

_"You say that because that is what __**you **__want to do with her," Shino pointed out, making Kiba scowl lightly and sit up, legs crossed in front of him._

_"Oh shut up! We're talking about __**you **__here, __**not **__me. And it won't be __**that **__bad...," Kiba insisted with a light flush to his cheeks. "I mean...you've got time, right? Just talk to her about it and get her ready for it before the wedding night so she doesn't pass out. You __**know **__she has a kick-ass body...__**and **__that she's a virgin. The virgin part may be hard to deal with at first, but she'll be nice and tight for you..."_

_"__**Not **__another word," Shino replied stiffly before the man could continue. Kiba looked back at him in slight surprise before he realized something..._

_"__**You're **__still embarrassed about that stuff, too!," Kiba pointed at him accusingly with mirth in his eyes. Shino looked away, sinking down in his jacket a little to help hide his blush. Kiba laughed; he'd never seen Shino blush so much! 'I smell blackmail!,' Kiba gleefully shouted in his mind. "Oh, __**this **__is good! You're not going to be __**able **__to fuck her because you're __**both **__going to pass out before you can!" Shino scowled within the safety of his jacket._

_"I'm not saying I can't do it," he replied, embarrassed as all hell. "I just don't like talking about it..."_

_"Oh...__**I **__get it now," Kiba nodded, surprising Shino when a look of deep knowing crossed his suddenly serious face. It oddly reminded Shino of a sage... "You're a publicly-shy, no-kiss-and-tell kinda guy that's actually a sex hound!" Shino flinched as he stood, a cheshire smile unfolding over Kiba's lips. "...No pun intended." Kiba was __**more **__than happy to find something to irritate the Aburame. He was going to have a __**lot **__of fun teasing him for a __**long **__time to come... Ahh...revenge was __**sweet**__..._

_"Kiba...," Shino started in his stoic voice, the Inuzuka flinching at his suddenly guarded and hardened tone. "Do you want another black eye?"_

_"That a __**threat**__, bug boy?," Kiba asked half seriously as he stumbled to his own feet, Shino having to help him stand up straight._

_"Even if it __**was**__, you wouldn't be able to defend yourself," Shino replied, getting a scowl from Kiba. "I wouldn't, either, at this point. I'm too tired." Kiba was slightly shocked at his admission. "Do you need help back home?" Shino was inwardly glad his little half-hearted threat changed the conversation so quickly and completely..._

_"I'm fine," Kiba pushed him away, trying to act tougher than he was. "Can __**you **__get home?"_

_"Yes," Shino answered simply, getting a nod from the Inuzuka._

_"Good," Kiba retorted. "Don't forget to think about screwing Hinata!" With that and a grin, Kiba disappeared in a puff of white smoke._

_"Kiba...," Shino growled, realizing what Kiba was up to and would probably be up to for a while after, his hands tightening into fists. "...You son of a bitch..."_

I think that's a good place to stop off. ^,^ (I thought I'd be nice and answer one of the questions above- Shino and Kiba are going to remain friends...though it's going to be a _little _rocky...) Like Kiba's little conversation with Shino? That was fun to write...hehe! , He's probably going to be as bad about teasing Shino as Shibi is...just to upset Shino as revenge for having to marry Hinata, even though it's been arranged by their fathers. (Kiba's upset and angry and that makes him think illogically and vengefully- _and _I know a few people who would _actually _do something like that, so I thought it would be a nice touch to the story...)

Next time, it's **Chapter 4 - Wayward Weddings and Clan Plans**!

Don't miss it!


	4. Wayward Weddings and Clan Plans! Part 1

**Arranged Marriage**

**Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream**

**Pairing: Shino x Hinata From Naruto**

**A Quick Note**:

- Chapter four is now up!

-Thank ya'll for your awesome reviews! You have _no _idea how much they help me get out of ruts and writer's blocks! First I got into a large rut and couldn't figure out what to do next...and I wound up editing out a lot of what I wrote, further depressing me...and then my daughter got sick with a virus and I did, too. (Yes, I have a daughter (a two year old). I'm twenty two, divorced, and living with my parents right now with little hope of getting a job any time soon. :/ Stupid economy. Writing when my daughter's playing in a safe place or sleeping helps me tremendously...when I don't have writer's block.) So...yeah. Things were pretty bleak here, my baby waking at all hours of the night and crying like a newborn, coughing and sneezing... I was doing pretty much the same (without crying, of course). It was miserable...and she was fussy...

- Occasionally, my daughter and I can go into town with my parents and I can use a free internet that fast food places have (really sucky and slow, but it's internet) and I'll log on quickly to see reviews and copy them down to read and respond to them. It helps fuel me when I'm down, so I keep chugging along and writing. So...thank you guys _so _much for your reviews! You help me _tons_! :D

- I _am _working on other stories besides this one. (I'm going to put up at _least _two more one-shots this time...) Some are Shino x Hinata, others vary. (I backed up all of my stories again the other day and was shocked to learn I have about _seven hundred _on here! Not all freshly written, either, mind you. I started this collection a few years ago...probably back when I was fifteen...) I've been working on stories here and there, but I don't have any good Christmas ones...so my Christmas gift to everyone is the one-shots! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

- Belated Happy Thanksgiving!

- Umm...Happy End of the World to those who think the world is coming to an end. (Sorry, I'm a skeptic. (-cough-Y2K-cough-) It says in the Bible that only God will know when the end of the world is coming and that mankind can't predict it. Mankind predicted this, so I'm not worried about it, really. Yes, I'm a Christian. A dirty one, at times; I'm addicted to anime, manga, and fanfiction, and I have some _major _flaws. I'm not perfect, and _no one _I know _is_. (Except God, but that's a given.))

- **Note **- I decided to break this up into two parts, part one is this chapter, and part two is in the next, the actual meeting between Hiashi, Shibi, Shino, and Hinata. Sorry about this, but because of time issues and other things, I wasn't able to finish this like I had wanted to before I got to the library. Now, I _will _finish the second part (probably tonight) and see if I can get it up tomorrow...or the next day. Sorry for the trouble.

**Quick Japanese Terminology**:  
(These may or may not be used in this chapter...it's just a little lesson to those who don't know or a reminder for those who _do _know these words.)

1) Yaoi = Boy x Boy love (gay, so they say)  
(Sorry! I couldn't resist my little rhyme...XD)

2) Kami = God

3) Shiro = White

4) Ayame = Iris

5) Kiba = Tusk or Fang

(Hah...that was fun. I may add five new words with every chapter I do...until I run out of words, that is...lol. XD)

- **Warning **- Swearing and perverse teasing from both Shibi _and _Kiba! XD

**A Quick Thanks To**:

Clumsy0132, dragonick711, KayseeRP, Luana LS, Lollimint, OnnaMusha, and ZeldaSheik for reviewing! Thanks guys!

**Clumsy0132:**

Yup, yup...I felt a bit bad for writing those scenes...but it's all for the storyline. They won't _always _be in bad situations like this...it's just a rough patch that'll pass.

Yeah...lol. It's gonna be interesting...XD (-pats a slumped and sulky Shino on the back-)

**dragonick711:**

Thank you! I worked _really _hard on them so that they would come out right. Don't worry...that won't be _everyone's _reaction to the marriage...but some interesting situations will ensue. :)

I agree with that one hundred percent. I _do _like Hinata in other pairings, myself...but I find it hard to pair her with them properly because of clashes in their personalities...

(Admittedly, I like the older Hinata and Gaara together, after he's been changed by Naruto...but it's still not easy to pair them together like that. I've been attempting to write a fanfic that would do them justice while still being IC, but I have failed miserably. Also...my last fanfic I wrote and posted before this one (I admit here and now it sucked- _badly_) was supposed to be a Shino x Hinata pairing...but Sasuke x Hinata fans flamed me to dust over it and tried to blackmail me into writing it as a Sasuke x Hinata pairing instead of Shino x Hinata. I can't really see those two together, so I tried to say no, but they wouldn't listen. So...I never went back to that account again and I hadn't posted anything on the internet since...until now. Hardcore Sasuke x Hinata fans are _scary_...)

I noticed that, too... I hate it that Kishimoto doesn't focus more on the other characters some. I know Naruto and Sasuke are the mains, but what can it hurt to give a little love to some of the other characters? Hinata's my favorite kunoichi...I'd _love _to see more of her...

That's weird, too, people thinking that Shino is gay and in love with Kiba. They _do _have a strong friendship...but that's because they were teammates after they graduated from the academy. Of course...I know a lot of people that are yaoi fans, and yaoi is _really _popular... (I hate to admit I like _some _yaoi stories, myself. The ones with actual (good) story lines and plots... (I know I'm not supposed to because of my faith, but I can't help it...bad me! Bad! Xp)) But it sucks that the Shino x Hinata community suffers because of that...

Yup Yup...I wish I could update more often, but I do what I can with what (legal) free internet I can get. (Burger King internet is what I used last time... My personal opinion...is that it sucks.) Thank you very much! :P I work _really _hard on the story in the wait to be able to get it up on the internet. I figured since I couldn't update often, the least I could do was make long chapters. I'm glad you enjoy it! :D

**KayseeRP**:

Lol. I'm glad you like my fic. Yes...poor Shino...I feel bad for torturing him, and there's still _so _much more to come! XD I'm glad I make you laugh. lol. :D

**Luana LS**:

It seemed that way for me at first, too, but they're my favorite Naruto pairing now. Wow...that's cool! Welcome to the Shino x Hinata community! :D Thank you very much! I do the best I can. :D It's going to be...interesting. XD I will see what I can do about getting this finished ASAP and posted up so you can see for yourself. :P

**Lollimint**:

Will do ASAP!

**OnnaMusha**:

Thank you very much! I will update ASAP!

**ZeldaSheik**

Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it and I'll do my best to keep it going like this! _Much _more teasing to come, heehee! XD Yay! A fan! XD

**Disclaimer**:

I _wish _I owned Naruto and all of the lovely characters...

...but, alas, I do _not _own a one of them... ;,;

**Arranged Marriage**

**Chapter 4 - Wayward Weddings and Clan Plans! - Part 1**

Shino hit the ground with a grunt, Kiba lying not too far away. Both men were beaten, slightly bloodied (Shino more than Kiba), and worse for wear. The most visible of their wounds was a large bruse the size of Kiba's fist on Shino's right cheek and Kiba's left eye was heavily bruised and swollen shut.

"Truce?," Shino asked Kiba as he looked over at the exhausted man, his weary Kikkaichu slowly filtering back into his body.

"Truce," Kiba nodded once. Shino sighed in slight contentment as he laid back. Kiba _finally _accepted it...thank Kami! "...Hey, Shino." The Aburame hummed in response, looking over at his fallen friend. "Did your dads both _really _arrange this without either of your knowing about it? Take yer damn shades off before you answer." Shino let out a soft choked laugh at the odd comfort of the normalcy of Kiba's speech, slowly lifting his heavy hands up and pulling his shades from his face.

"Yes, Kiba...it was _completely _without either of our knowing and without _either _of our consent," Shino inclined his head. Kiba studied his eyes a long moment before he shook his head and opted to look up at the sky.

"Damn...I'm going to have to beat Shibi a new one," Kiba replied slowly, Shino taking amusement in that thought as he replaced his shades on his nose. "Another thing..." Kiba snapped his head back to look at the curious Shino, his brow raised to show it. "Why the _hell_...didn't you put on your ninja gear? Do you have a _death wish _or somethin'?"

"I didn't want you to feel threatened," Shino answered honestly. "If I came here with my gear on, you would have been more inclined to attack and less trusting of me and my intentions."

"Nuh-unh," Kiba argued, shaking his head at him.

"_Really_?," Shino deadpanned, looking at Kiba with a (mostly hidden) disbelieving look and a highly raised brow. Kiba hesitated and flushed lightly as he looked back up at the sky.

"Okay, okay, maybe you're right," Kiba admitted, Shino inclining his head and looking up at the sky, as well. The sun was almost at its apex...just how much time had passed? "Know-it-all jackass." The last was mumbled, but it was quiet enough that Shino heard it clear as day.

"I just know _you_, Kiba, that's all," Shino responded to his mumble, slightly shocking him. He looked back at the Aburame, Shino looking back at him, as well. "Just like _you _know _me_..._and _Hinata. We've been friends since the academy...we've become...vaguely predictable to one another."

"Heh. Only _vaguely_?," Kiba smirked.

"_Very _predictable, then," Shino let a small smile through, knowing that they could pretty much anticipate _anything _that the other two of their team did or said.

"_That's _more like it," Kiba nodded. "That also means that you came here to talk to me, _knowing _that I would attack you like I did..._and _that it would end like this."

"I had _hoped _it would end like this," Shino nodded once. "I wasn't sure..." Kiba bobbed his head a little in understanding. "Are you alright with this?" There was slight hesitance in Shino's voice when he asked...but he _had _to know. Kiba frowned and thought on it a moment before answering.

"Not entirely," he admitted. "I mean...I know I can trust you to take care of her and all...and I beat you up, so I feel a _little _better about it. But...I still need time to accept it." Shino nodded understandingly. "Are _you _alright with it?" Well..._that _was an unexpected question...

"I don't know," Shino replied softly, looking back up at the sky. "I don't mind standing at her side and protecting her...but...marriage...is another issue _entirely_..."

"It won't be _that _bad," Kiba snorted, Shino frowning lightly as he turned back to his friend. "I mean...just keep up the friendship we've had with her for years...and screwing her at night won't be bad at _all_...lucky bastard." Again, the last was soft, but not soft enough that Shino missed it. Shino felt his cheeks heat up as he looked away again and sat up so his coat covered up his flushed face. Kiba blinked at him in slight surprise.

"You say that because that is what _you _want to do with her," Shino pointed out, making Kiba scowl lightly and sit up, legs crossed in front of him.

"Oh shut up! We're talking about _you _here, _not _me. And it won't be _that _bad...," Kiba insisted with a light flush to his cheeks. "I mean...you've got time, right? Just talk to her about it and get her ready for it before the wedding night so she doesn't pass out. You _know _she has a kick-ass body..._and _that she's a virgin. The virgin part may be hard to deal with at first, but she'll be nice and tight for you..."

"_Not _another word," Shino replied stiffly before the man could continue. Kiba looked back at him in slight surprise before he realized something...

"_You're _still embarrassed about that stuff, too!," Kiba pointed at him accusingly with mirth in his eyes. Shino looked away, sinking down in his jacket a little to help hide his blush. Kiba laughed; he'd never seen Shino blush so much! '_I smell blackmail_!,' Kiba gleefully shouted in his mind. "Oh, _this _is good! You're not going to be _able _to fuck her because you're _both _going to pass out before you can!" Shino scowled within the safety of his jacket.

"I'm not saying I can't do it," he replied, embarrassed as all hell. "I just don't like talking about it..."

"Oh..._I _get it now," Kiba nodded, surprising Shino when a look of deep knowing crossed his suddenly serious face. It oddly reminded Shino of a sage... "You're a publicly-shy, no-kiss-and-tell kinda guy that's actually a sex hound!" Shino flinched as he stood, a cheshire smile unfolding over Kiba's lips. "...No pun intended." Kiba was _more _than happy to find something to irritate the Aburame. He was going to have a _lot _of fun teasing him for a _long _time to come... Ahh...revenge was _sweet_...

"Kiba...," Shino started in his stoic voice, the Inuzuka flinching at his suddenly guarded and hardened tone. "Do you want another black eye?"

"That a _threat_, bug boy?," Kiba asked half seriously as he stumbled to his own feet, Shino having to help him stand up straight.

"Even if it _was_, you wouldn't be able to defend yourself," Shino replied, getting a scowl from Kiba. "I wouldn't, either, at this point. I'm too tired." Kiba was slightly shocked at his admission. "Do you need help back home?" Shino was inwardly glad his little half-hearted threat changed the conversation so quickly and completely...

"I'm fine," Kiba pushed him away, trying to act tougher than he was. "Can _you _get home?"

"Yes," Shino answered simply, getting a nod from the Inuzuka. He pulled his black jacket hood back up and over his head.

"Good," Kiba retorted. "Don't forget to think about screwing Hinata!" With that and a sardonic grin, Kiba disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

"Kiba...," Shino growled, realizing what Kiba was up to and would probably be up to for a while after, his hands tightening into fists. "...You son of a bitch..."

"Wow...I don't think I've ever heard you curse at someone like that before," a female voice came from behind the startled man, her voice tinged with amusement. Shino whipped around to see Ten Ten standing there, a hand up at her upturned lips. She blinked, surprise spreading over her face as she stepped a little closer.

"What's wrong?," Shino asked in his stoic voice, trying to keep from sounding as shocked as he actually was. He hadn't been expecting her and she was acting...strange. (He had gotten to know her somewhat well over the years. Not only on missions, surprisingly. Ten Ten was Hinata's closest female friend now and Neji's girlfriend (they'd been dating for a couple of years now). She would often be with Hinata at the Hyuuga Compound, as few times as he went there, and she sometimes went out with Hinata shopping, amongst other things.) Not to mention she was in her flak jacket. (She didn't wear it around normally- she must have _just _gotten back from a mission (she was too far from her home and the front gate to be going off on a mission)...though she didn't seem injured.) Ten Ten stopped almost directly in front of him, her eyes not on his shades.

"That's one _nasty _bruise...," she commented, pointing to his right cheek.

"I'm not surprised," Shino replied softly, a hand coming up and gently rubbing his sore cheek. "Kiba hit me pretty hard."

"_Another _dispute between the two of you, huh?," she asked with a little sympathetic smile. He nodded once in reply. "Man...Hinata's gonna be upset when she finds out." Ten Ten locked her hands behind her and bent forwards a little, giving him a chiding look.

"Yes...I know," Shino sighed. "It was a necessary argument and we resolved our problem...for the most part."

"AKA you two are going to be occasionally fighting until one or the other accepts whatever's going on between you two, right?," Ten Ten replied, amusement in her voice again as he hesitantly nodded.

"How much did you see?," Shino asked reluctantly, wondering if she'd been around long enough to have heard what Kiba had said...

"I just saw you standing here, looking kind of angry," she admitted softly, thoughtfully, as she righted herself. "And then you said 'you son of a bitch'. What was your argument _about, _anyway?" He stiffened and hesitated in his reply, knowing that she saw him hesitate...he very rarely hesitated outside his home...

"You will know later...this afternoon, if not tomorrow," Shino managed to reply somewhat secretively. "I'm not supposed to talk about it yet."

"Clan thing?," she asked knowingly.

"Yes," was his short reply.

"That's all I needed to know," Ten Ten giggled. "Clans are so complicated it's not _even _funny...next time just say 'it's a clan thing'. I'll understand."

"Um...alright," Shino nodded, blinking at her in slight surprise. '_She must've been subjected to some of the clan ways of the Hyuuga,' _he mentally mused. "You look like you just got off of a mission..."

"Mmmnn," Ten Ten nodded. "I did. I just reported in to Naruto and I'm on my way to see Neji now before I go home and rest. I promised him I'd come back and tell him how it went when I got back." She gave a small, fond smile. "Though...it was only a C-rank mission...he's such a worry wart!" She giggled softly and stretched a little. Shino gave a small, unseen, smile as he nodded once in understanding. He had come to find out that Neji was quite the caring individual now...though he often hid it behind his own stoic mask. (He had heard from Hinata that he was seldom stoic at home now, and she was glad that he was showing his emotions more. _He _hadn't seen this side of the man, but he didn't expect to. Hinata was his cousin and Ten Ten his girlfriend. Shino was a man from another clan...it would be weird if he _did _show so much emotion in front of him.)

"Would you mind if I accompanied you there, then?," Shino asked, not surprised at the look of surprise on her face. He was tired, but not too tired and his injuries weren't _too _bad...he could still make it. "I finished my business with Kiba, so now I need to speak with Hinata before returning home."

"_That _big a clan thing, huh?," she asked softly, sympathetically.

"Hm," Shino hummed with a nod.

"Well..._I've _got no problems with it," Ten Ten replied easily with a small smile. "Do you know your way around the Compound?"

"Not really," He admitted softly. He knew where the training grounds were, but that was it...

"That's okay," she nodded once. "I can get you hooked up with a receptionist if I don't know where you're going...of course, you have to talk to them anyway, so you can get Hinata-chan's location."

"Alright," Shino inclined his head once. "Thank you."

"No problem," she beamed. "This way." She started walking off towards the Compound, Shino easily falling in-stride beside her. A companionable silence befell them until they reached the ominous large building that was the Hyuuga Compound, Shino idly noting the small smile on the girl's face. She approached the front shoji screen door with confidence, as though she was _more _than used to coming by unannounced. (And she probably _was_. Shino had heard tales from Hinata of the girl coming by to surprise Neji from time to time...but he'd almost _always _seen her coming, to her dismay.)

"Knock knock," Ten Ten announced softly with a small smile. She slid the door open easily, looking around a moment and waving Shino forwards. He stepped up to the front stoop and entered just behind her, shutting the door behind them. There was a bench where the Hyuugas _always _had a few receptionists on hand that sat there to guide around the people who didn't live there. Five sat there, Ten Ten approaching them with an amiable smile.

"Ten Ten-san," a man spoke, standing, the others sitting back and letting him be the guide this time. He was dressed in white robes with a black tie and white tabi, his long dark brown hair, tied back neatly, nearly reaching his slightly exposed ankles. White eyes looked at Ten Ten with kindness as he smiled at her. "Here to see Neji-san again?"

"Mmmnn," Ten Ten nodded with a soft hum. "And Shino-kun is here to see Hinata-chan."

"I see," he spoke cheerfully as he looked over at Shino. The Aburame inclined his head to the man, getting the same polite gesture in return. "My name is Shiro, and I would be happy to help both of you." Shino inclined his head once more at that, glad for the help. "Let me take a moment to find them both and I will direct you to their locations."

"'Kay," Ten Ten nodded as she clasped her hands behind her back, waiting for him patiently as he activated his Byakugan with a hand sign. Veins bulged up on his face and he looked around for a long few minutes, blinking in one direction and squinting. He undid the Byakugan with a soft sigh, looking a bit confused.

"Peculiar...," he spoke softly, looking back at the other Hyuuga on the benches. "I have been on post all morning, but I never saw Hinata-san pass. Does anyone know where she might be?" Ten Ten and Shino both looked at the man in surprise. There was a little mumbling amongst the seated Hyuuga before a younger girl stood up, looking a tad timid. She had to be younger than Shino and Ten Ten by her looks, and she had long black hair up in a ponytail that reached her thin waist. "Do you know something, Ayame-chan?"

"Well...a little," Ayame admitted softly, her white eyes finding Shiro's. "I happened to walk by the training grounds before my shift started and I saw the very tail end of a battle between Hanabi-san and Hinata-san. Hiashi-sama and Neji-san were at the front of the crowd and they went to the two when the battle was finished, both grabbing a sister and heading to the infirmary with them."

"Ah!," Shino gasped, his eyes widening slightly. _'Was it another half-hearted attempt at Hinata's life...? Or did she find out about...,' _Shino thought hesitantly, hoping for the best and fearing for the worst.

"Oh _no_...," Ten Ten gasped softly. "Not _again_..."

"What time was that?," Shiro asked softly, his brow furrowed as he pulled out a pocket watch.

"Roughly about seven o' five to seven ten," she estimated with a nod. "That's when they finished the battle and the two went to the infirmary with them."

"I see...," Shiro spoke softly, his gaze somewhat saddened as it fixed on his golden pocket watch. "It's nine forty now...so it's been about two and a half hours since then. How bad were her injuries?" They all felt their hearts drop just a little as she hesitated.

"I'm not sure...but they seemed to be pretty bad...," Ayame answered slowly. "I saw Hanabi-san's final attack...and it went all the way through Hinata-san's...right shoulder, I believe it was. There were blood stains all over the training grounds and Hinata-san was covered in it. Hanabi-san looked _much _more in-tact than _she _did..."

_'Is Hinata alright_?,' was the immediate thought of both Shino and Ten Ten, both worried for the girl's safety and health.

"She will still be in the hospital, then," Shiro nodded once in understanding. "That's why I couldn't find her. Neji-san is in the waiting room with Hiashi-sama. That explains everything. Thank you Ayame."

"Sir," she bowed and sat again, looking somewhat dolefully at the ground.

"Do you know where the hospital in the Compound is, Ten Ten-san?," Shiro asked as he turned and replaced his pocket.

"I didn't know you guys had one, honestly," she replied softly, looking about as worried as she was. He smiled a little at her, though the knowledge that Hinata was injured obviously took a toll on _him_, as well.

"We have everything within these walls that Konoha has to offer," he replied simply. "Come this way and I will lead you both to the hospital." They both nodded once and wasted no time in following him, the two in-step just behind him, both eager to get to the hospital.

"I hope Hina-chan is okay...," Ten Ten spoke softly as she looked over at Shino. Outwardly, to those he didn't know, he looked the same as always. Because Ten Ten had been around him as much as she had, she could see the tell-tale signs of worry in his features. He nodded once in agreement. "Do you have any idea what the fight could have been over, Shino-kun?"

"Mnn uhhnn," Shino shook his head at the girl. "Not unless it was the regular attempt at Hinata's life for leadership of the clan. But...she's never gone this far before..."

"Yeah...," Ten Ten replied softly, her eyes saddened as he peeked over at her from beneath his shades. "I hope whatever this was over wasn't _too _serious...and I hope her injuries aren't as bad as that Ayame girl thought they were..."

"Mmnnn," was Shino's hum of agreement as he nodded, Shiro shooting them a sympathetic look as he navigated them through the winding and (sometimes) confusing corridors of the Hyuuga Compound. Things were tensely silent as all three members of the group silently thought things over.

'_I hope their fight wasn't over leadership of the clan_,' Shino thought silently as they walked on. _'Especially if she somehow found out about our arranged marriage. I doubt Hanabi would hesitate to kill her if she found out about that_.' His stomach churned and twisted at the thought of his long-time best friend being murdered...by her own sister, at that. It was _more _than a disturbing thought and he didn't want to linger on it for long. _'She's alive...she's alive...injured, though alive.' _He had to focus on that fact as they walked, trying to get his nerves and stomach to settle, his Kikkaichu protesting his inner turmoil that was upsetting his stomach and nerves. _'Hinata_...' His mind delved into all of the memories he held of the young woman as they continued on.

_'Hinata_...,' Ten Ten thought worriedly, barely keeping from nibbling at her thumb nail as she walked- her nervous habit when stress ran high outside of battle. In the last couple years she had been hanging around the Hyuuga Compound, she had come to be good friends with Hinata. They actually were pretty similar, in ways. One of which being that Ten Ten hadn't had any good female friends up to that point, and Hinata hadn't either...at least, none around her own age. Kurenai was a good friend of Hinata's, but she was also her mentor and unlike a friend around her own age would have been. Ten Ten was a year older than her, but they got along quite well, in her opinion. She liked talking to the younger girl, taking her out shopping, and gossiping together. (Hinata wasn't much of a gossip, but she was a really good listener.) Not to mention the fact that she was helping Hinata come out of her shell a little more. The girl had been _so _shy to start with...but she was glad she was opening up more now. (Blossoming like a flower, as Neji had once put it.) It was about time, too! She was twenty three and drifting along to wherever fate pushed her to...and that's not a good kind of life to live. Ten Ten hoped to help her get something she actually _wanted _accomplished before she got too old. She wouldn't make it if Hanabi kept up her dangerous stunts, though...

_'I've __**got **__to talk to her about this_,' Ten Ten mentally noted to herself. '_This is getting __**ridiculous**__...it could end up in one of their demises one day, and __**no one **__would be happy with the outcome. There would be __**no **__winner to the feud...and only a bitter sadness would remain_.' Her large brown eyes saddened at the thought. _'I don't want to lose Hinata like that...and Hanabi, as monstrous a girl as she is, doesn't deserve to die for her idiocy. They need to settle this with Hiashi and be done with it_.' With that and a nod, her decision to talk to Hinata (if not Hiashi) was made.

"This is our hospital," Shiro announced, Ten Ten and Shino coming out of their thoughts with a blink to observe the building. It was sterile white, detached from the Compound, and was traditional in style (like the rest of the Compound), but had the unmistakable presence of a hospital. "Hiashi-sama and Neji-san are seated to the far left side, near the front desk. Do you need anything else?"

"No...thank you," Ten Ten replied with a soft smile. "You've done a lot for us. Thank you very much, Shiro-san. We can take things from here." She bowed, prompting Shino and Shiro to do the same.

"Thank you," Shino added in his own gratitude softly.

"It was my pleasure," Shiro replied amiably. "Have a nice day."

"You, too," Ten Ten nodded, the man giving a light bow of the head before heading back to the front receptionists area. "Well...I guess we go in, then." She motioned to the hospital, both of their bellies fluttering with nervous butterflies. Shino nodded, the two starting at pretty much the same time and entering side-by-side. Both pairs of eyes immediately turned to the left, looking far ahead and towards the receptionists desk. There were a set of four chairs, Hiashi and Neji in the closest to the desk. "There they are."

"Hn," Shino nodded and followed her as she made a beeline for the two. They had to wind around some chairs and a couple of vending machines, but they made it with relative ease.

"Neji!," Ten Ten cried softly as they neared the talking two, the two quieting and Neji standing to greet them. She all but ran over to him.

"You made it back safely," Neji sighed, a visible relief etched into his face as he brought the girl into a welcomed embrace.

"Of _course _I did," Ten Ten snorted, gently pulling away a little, their arms still wound around one another as Shino stopped short of them. "It was an _easy _C-ranked mission! I'm fine!" Neji gave a hint of a smirk, Ten Ten meeting him for a quick chaste kiss before they pulled away almost completely, Neji's hand remaining on the small of her back. He turned back to Shino, who felt a little awkward.

"Nice to see you, Shino-san," Neji inclined his head respectfully to him.

"You, as well," Shino inclined his head, pushing his shades up his nose. "How is Hinata doing? I came here to speak with her and we found out she had been hospitalized..."

"Mnnn...," Neji hummed softly with a curt nod, his happiness dimming down a bit. "Were you informed of what happened?"

"We only know Hinata and Hanabi got into a fight," Shino shook his head. "We know _that _and that they were both brought to the hospital."

"Right...," Neji sighed softly. "I still don't know why Hanabi attacked Hinata this morning..."

"The reason Hanabi attacked Hinata is because of the thing we are going to talk about in the meeting later before it becomes public," Hiashi stepped in, Neji and Ten Ten blinking as Shino looked up at him in surprise, the man standing and drawing near to them. The amount of blood staining his white garb was worrying. Shino could only hope it was from Hanabi and _not _Hinata... "_You _know what I speak of, Shino-san."

"Uhh...mmmnn," Shino slowly hummed and nodded, Neji and Ten Ten looking at him in slight shock. He got the hint- don't talk about it openly yet. '_So she __**was **__attacked by Hanabi for leadership of the clan_,' he thought silently, inwardly more worried and distressed. His Kikkaichu buzzed angrily at him for his anxiety.

"Speaking of which...why you are here before the meeting time?," Hiashi asked, his brow furrowed a little, suspicion glinting in his eyes. Shino pondered a moment before finding something appropriate to say without giving what they were hiding away.

"Hinata wasn't very...happy last night," Shino spoke slowly. "I wanted to speak with her _before _the meeting to reconcile and make sure that she is alright with everything that is going to happen."

"And if she's not?," Hiashi questioned with a raised brow.

"What is to happen is, apparently, inevitable," Shino replied with a hidden frown as he pushed his shades up his nose. "I want to do what I can to make sure she is happy and comfortable with it, in the least." Hiashi gave an approving nod.

"You will be allowed a brief time to sit and speak with her before the meeting commences," Hiashi agreed. "The more accepting of this Hinata is, the better." Shino gave his own nod of acceptance, glad that Hiashi was allowing him to see her. He'd had momentary doubt that Hiashi would allow it...

"Hiashi-sama," a nurse walked over with a bow, slightly startling the group. "I don't mean to interrupt...but Hanabi-san has regained consciousness."

"Excellent," Hiashi inclined his head to her. "I will return shortly. Take me to her."

"Milord," she bowed and lead the man off through a set of double doors and into the back. Once out of sight, Neji and Ten Ten turned back to Shino.

"What in the world's going on, Shino?," Ten Ten asked softly, worry etched into her face.

"What is Hiashi-sama forcing her into _this _time?," Neji asked with a frown on his face, still trying to figure it all out in his mind.

"Ah...I...," Shino flinched and hesitated at the sudden attack of questions. He looked away, shifting his shades higher up on his nose. "I...I can't say yet."

"This whole thing is _really _starting to worry me, Shino," Ten Ten replied, a frown on her face and in her voice. Shino sighed softly, guilt already nagging at him. "It's not dangerous, is it?" Well...he couldn't tell them...but he could at least put their fears to rest...

"No...it isn't dangerous," Shino admitted, turning back to them, both looking at him intently. "It is simply something that he is forcing her into that she doesn't want to do. Hanabi is angry because Hiashi told her that Hinata is the heiress and Hanabi will not take that title from her."

"That...that's it?," Ten Ten asked with a blink. He nodded once in confirmation, noticing both of them relax a little. "Well..._that's _a relief...so long as what he's trying to force her into isn't bad..."

"It isn't," Shino reassured. "It is...a normal clan thing." Ten Ten gave a hint of a smile at his vagueness and using the 'clan thing' she'd asked him to use earlier when he couldn't explain things pertaining to the clans.

"_Alright_...using my words _against _me now," Ten Ten huffed playfully. "_I _see how it's going to be."

"Heh," Shino gave his own hint of a smile, relieved to feel the tension ease up some, Neji raising a brow and looking back and forth between the two of them. "Indeed."

"You can't say any more of it?," Neji asked experimentally.

"I'm afraid not," Shino shook his head. "I hope that will do for now."

"Hn...," Neji hummed and nodded once in understanding, Ten Ten looking a bit more cheerful. "Well...it may be a while more before she awakens...please, sit." He motioned to the seats behind him, Ten Ten sitting beside him as he sat. Shino sat beside Ten Ten, the seat closest to the desk reserved for Hiashi when he returned.

"How is she?," Shino asked somewhat softly, a little afraid of the answer.

"Well...do you want the full report from the nurses?," Neji asked with slight hesitation in his voice as he locked eyes with Shino's shades. He nodded once, prompting him to go on. Ten Ten listened as intently as Shino did, the girl winding her arms around Neji's arm. "She has a deep cut on her left palm, a slash down her left arm from just below her wrist to her elbow that's deep, bruises on her left arm, a shallow cut on her left shoulder, a gash beneath her collar bone that went all the way through. Thankfully, it only tore a little at her muscle and did no more major damage. There's a nick on the right side of her neck, a nick on her chin, a cut down the center of her right arm about a hand's length long, a nick on her right thumb, severe bruising on her abdomen with no internal damage, a shallow cut straight across her belly just above her navel, and she has a diagonal slash that starts just below her right knee and reaches down nearly to her ankle." Neji bobbed his head once, then again, as if reassuring himself he'd said it all. Ten Ten and Shino were both in shock. It was a wonder Hinata had been able to continue that battle! She had to have sustained a _large _amount of blood loss... Hiashi's robes were a testament to that, if anything. Worry re-settled in both of them. "She has been cleaned, bandaged, and redressed. The worst of it was sewn shut. Now we are only waiting for her to regain consciousness."

"Mmmnn," Shino nodded, feeling a little out of sorts. She seemed to have gotten the proper treatment in time and Neji didn't look too terribly worried, so she _had _to be alright. He had to keep telling himself that...

"So...she's going to be alright?," Ten Ten reiterated, the worry showing through in her voice. "She doesn't have any sign of infection, or any other issues?"

"No," Neji replied softly, the very slight hints of a smile tugging at his lips, warmth glinting in his eyes. "She's going to be perfectly fine. No infection or any other complications. They hooked her up to an I.V. with a slow saline and blood drip, along with a morphine drip. At worst, she will awaken and be a little disoriented. Our medics are on the same level as those in the Konoha hospital." She nodded with a small smile, seeming to be more confident of Hinata's condition at his words. Shino was, too, honestly.

"I'm glad she'll be alright," Ten Ten spoke with a soft sigh, laying her head on Neji's shoulder. "I just hope she wakes up soon..."

"Mnn," Neji hummed and nodded once, resting his head against hers comfortably. "It shouldn't be _too _much longer now." She hummed once in response, a somewhat awkward, somewhat relaxed silence befalling them.

Shino shifted a little in his seat, only casting brief glances at the couple. It was awkward for him because he didn't stay around couples, if he could help it. Not that it was embarrassing to him, like the topic of sex, but...he just felt uncomfortable around couples. Right now it was more of a third-wheel kind of thing, like he wasn't supposed to be there. Of course...there was also the fact that he'd never been in a relationship before, too... With a soft sigh, Shino leaned back in his chair. This was going to be a _long _wait...

"Here is her room, Hiashi-sama," the nurse, dressed all in white, spoke, turning back to the man in red-stained clothes. "Hanabi-san has been restrained, as instructed, and she has been rather hostile. She demands to be released."

"I don't doubt it," Hiashi snorted lightly. "You may go. I will handle my daughter."

"Milord," the nurse bowed to him and left at his command.

"Now...," Hiashi sighed as he faced Hanabi's door. "To clear this up and ensure Hinata's safety." He opened the door slowly, hearing metal clinking and Hanabi growling as she struggled on her bed. He soon saw Hanabi in a white tunic and white pants, the girl looking absolutely furious as she flailed on her hospital bed, her hands and feet restrained to the bed with metal and leather cuffs that had a chakra draining spell on them. She couldn't even use the substitute jutsu in her condition.

"Father! Release me from this at once!," Hanabi seethed, glaring at the man.

"No, Hanabi," he replied coolly, shutting the door behind him.

"What?! You can't let them do this to me!," she protested immediately.

"Settle down, Hanabi," Hiashi spoke firmly, approaching the bed and standing beside it, Hanabi's eyes narrowed in slight confusion.

"Why should I?!," She replied, tugging at her restraints once more.

"Because Hinata is not being named the leader of the clan," Hiashi replied simply, the girl stilling as he knew she would.

"W-What?," she asked, shock in her voice and clearly written across her face.

"Now that I have your attention-," Hiashi spoke, the girl looking confused.

"I heard you talking about her wedding this morning to a carpenter!," Hanabi interrupted. "She would become the leader just after."

"Yes...under normal circumstances," Hiashi inclined his head in agreement. "Will you let me speak now?" He could see her mind working as she slowly and silently nodded. "Hinata is not being named leader and her heiress title and responsibilities are being removed from her because of her arranged marriage to Shino Aburame." He watched the information sink in, the girl making a face. She never did like the Aburames...another reason for his, currently, unspoken decision. "Under normal circumstances, this would not occur. Because of the disagreements between Shibi and myself and several issues that would have occurred, we decided on something...a little different. Something rather unconventional." He pondered it a moment before going on, Hanabi's head tilting to the side in obvious confusion. "Hinata and Shino will start a clan of their own. I was merely speaking with the carpenter this morning to insure that they could work in the order for their new mansion to be built."

"So...she's not even going to be living here anymore?," Hanabi asked, brighting at the prospect of not even seeing her elder sister anymore.

"That's right," Hiashi nodded.

"That means...that _I'm _heiress," Hanabi grinned broadly.

"That is incorrect," Hiashi dashed her hopes immediately, her face falling. "Because of your recent actions and how you have acted over the years, I have contemplated over the issue and found you unworthy of being clan leader."

"But _why_?!," Hanabi immediately yelled, as he had expected. She fought against her restraints once more, furious. "I'm stronger than her and better in _every _way! I'm smarter, faster, stronger, and my mission record is steadily rising and bettering hers! I'm more aggressive and more fit for the job!"

"You assume too much," Hiashi snapped back with a frown, stopping her in her rant. "You are stronger, yes. More aggressive? Definitely. Faster? Possibly. Smarter? Absolutely _not_." He idly noticed the look on her face- as though he had struck her, her jaw slack. He was _finally _getting through to her. "Take what you did today, for example. Instead of gathering intelligence properly and coming to _me _about this issue, you immediately and recklessly attacked Hinata. She outsmarted you and had you down in seconds when your chakra ran out. Had this been a mission, you would be dead." Her jaw snapped shut and a frown plastered over her face. "You have done the same recklessly over the years, underestimating your elder sister. Had the situation been reversed, Hinata would have come to me and graciously accepted any decision I made. You do not know your sister, and you don't _try _to get to know her, even though she could help you. You only aggressively push ahead, trying to shove her out of your way in your quest for power. I suppose that is partially _my _fault, but you have had years to change and I have tried to change you, as well. You are hard-headed and refuse to grow and change. Because of this, your aggressiveness, your single-minded nature, your rashness, and your uncaring nature towards others, I cannot name you the leader of this clan."

"B-B-But!," She sputtered, trying to think of some protest to make. "All of those traits aren't bad!" It was a weak argument in his eyes, but she immediately hardened and stood behind it.

"Hm...let's see," Hiashi retorted coldly and somewhat sarcastically as he pretended to think on it. "If you can't change and grow, the clan won't grow or become stronger. Your aggressiveness could lead to overpowering others to form alliances and, ultimately, an uprising against you. Your single-minded way of thinking allows you no room for thought of anything else; you could lead the clan right into a trap that kills _everyone_. You are so rash that you rush into battle without vital details, which could lead to your own demise, as well as the clan's. Lastly, but not least, your uncaring nature leads you to feel nothing towards the other clan members...as leader, you must protect each and _every _one, treating them all as family. If you don't care, the clan will fall to ruin. Tell me I'm wrong." Hiashi's white eyes bored into a slightly intimidated Hanabi's similar white orbs. She hated that he could do that to her. A long moment passed and she broke under his unrelenting gaze.

"So you're right," she replied softly, looking away. "Who else can you name as heir?"

"That is very simple," Hiashi replied easily, the girl peeking back at him when he didn't immediately answer. "Who else is of the main line?"

"Neji?!," she gasped, whipping back around to stare at him in shock.

"That's right," Hiashi nodded.

"But he's of a lower branch!," she started.

"He is the closest of our family and the strongest of the three of you," Hiashi came back before she could finish. "He will be clan leader, his curse mark removed."

"But-!," Hanabi started again, her voice frantic.

"_Enough_," Hiashi replied in a deep scolding tone that brokered no argument. Hanabi's jaw snapped shut again, the girl looking angry but saying nothing. "As clan leader, I made the decisions that are best for the _clan_. Neji will be given a period of a week to propose to Ten Ten or choose another suitable woman, given his age and ongoing relationship he has had with Ten Ten. He is more than suitable in ways that you and Hinata are not. He will be clan leader, end of discussion." He turned his back to his unruly daughter and started to walk away when he suddenly stopped. "I almost forgot..." He looked over his shoulder at the glaring girl. "If you make one move to harm Neji, Hinata, Ten Ten, Shino, or any of their family members or friends...you will force my hand into more...drastic measures."

"What can be worse than _this_?!," Hanabi spat back at him, tears welling in her eyes. A slow, dark, devious smirk curved at his lips and she almost regretted asking, bristling at his look.

"You know...I am good friends with Ibiki," he tossed out to her carelessly, Hanabi sucking in a breath as she shut her mouth and blinked her widened eyes at him. "He is the village specialist in mental torture. You would take _very _little time to break...and then you would rot in a chakra-sealing cell for a few years before you would be released." He faced forwards again, the bewildered look on her face the last he saw of her as he went to and opened the door to the room. "Don't further disappoint me, Hanabi. It would be a shame to have to do all of that...and then you would be disowned, as well."

"W-Wha-! I...ah...um...mnn!," Hanabi fumbled through words, unable to find what she wanted to say. "Father!"

"_Please_...do as I ask this time," was the last he said to her before slipping out and sliding the windowless door shut behind him. She called after him, the tears heard in her voice. He didn't wander too far before sighing heavily and leaning back against a wall. "I'm getting too old for this..." He rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. Tough love was the only thing Hanabi understood and it was getting harder and harder to keep dishing it out to her. He was reaching the end of his ropes with her...and he really _didn't _want to do all of that to her...but if that was the only way she could learn her wrongs, what else could he do? He had already dished out everything he could and everything he used to with Hinata, and Hanabi had built a resistance to it _all_. It didn't faze her anymore. She was just too stubborn and set in her own ways. "The heaviest chains that burden you are the ones you create, yourself. Hanabi has created large chains that keep her set in her ways...and only _she _can break free of them." He let out a heavy breath, looking up at the ceiling. "I pray to kami that she breaks free...or she will endure more than she can handle, kami help her soul." He shook his head, shaking it off for the moment. "Now I need to focus on Hinata. Hopefully she will awaken soon so that I may speak with her..." With a hum, he looked around, seeing nurses and people pass as he navigated back to the waiting room to wait for Hinata to wake up. "Kami help _me _through all of this..."

Beep...beep...beep...

Drip...drip...drip...

"Mmmnnn...," a soft voice groaned, the owner of the voice laying back on a white bed, dressed in white, with white covers laying over her lower half, her dainty and calloused hands folded atop her stomach. Bandages covered a lot of her body and dark hair trickled over her shoulders and over the bed somewhat messily.

"She's waking up," a hushed female voice spoke excitedly.

"Go and tell Hiashi-sama," a male voice spoke softly and commandingly. "He will want to know."

"Right," she whispered back, the sound of a door opening and shutting rousing the girl a bit more.

"Uhhmmnnn," she moaned, trying to open her eyes as a squeaking noise from nearby caught her attention. _'What is that sound_?,' she asked herself silently, trying to remember what had happened and why she had fallen asleep.

"Hinata-san?," the male voice asked, gently prying her eyes open and looking into them with a small flashlight. She cringed at the sudden bright intrusion in her dark world. "Can you hear me?"

"Y...Yes," Hinata replied softly, shutting her eyes tightly as he left them alone and backed away. She lifted a heavy hand and rubbed her shut eyes wearily, trying to get her slow mind to work faster. "What...what happened..? Where am I?"

"Don't you remember your fight with your sister?," he asked inquisitively, the battle rushing back to her almost instantly. _'That's right...but then...I won...and father_...,' she went over her memories silently. "You're in the Hyuuga hospital." That wasn't a surprise to her, and it wasn't the first time he had brought her there...

"Mnn...," She nodded and pulled her hands away, vaguely aware of the light tugging from the I.V. needle in her hand. '_I must be on some __**strong **__pain killers...I don't feel __**anything**_...,' she mused quietly, slowly opening her eyes and squinting them against the harshness of the sterile white environment. She blinked a few times before being able to see clearly again, the girl turning her head to see the man, idly noticing the grogginess she felt and the light-headedness that bordered on dizziness. **'**_**Really **__strong pain killers_...'

"You _do _remember, then?," he asked, Hinata managing a nod, making him smile. "Good." He scribbled on a pad of paper, the girl getting a better look at him. He was a Hyuuga with the trademark white eyes, and he had mid-back length black hair that was tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck, his bangs trickling over his eyebrows just barely. He was fair-skinned for a man, but she figured he was indoors a lot, being a doctor. He had on a white shirt with black pants, black boots, and a white lab coat. "How are you feeling?" He looked back up at her expectantly.

"U-Umm...," she hesitated, flushing a little and looking away. She was a little reluctant to tell him _everything_..._and _being in a room alone with unfamiliar men made her nervous...it _always _did... "I don't feel any pain...I'm just a little groggy from sleeping. And...well...I feel a little funny...in my head..."

"That's probably from the morphine," he replied, the girl catching him nod and scribble on his pad in her peripheral vision. "We gave you the largest dose we could to ensure you wouldn't feel pain when we sewed some of your wounds closed. We kept it coming to ensure your comfort...though you _may _feel a little funny in your head for a while. The bag will run out about midnight...we'll ease up on it then and see how you do."

"Uhm...mmmnn," Hinata nodded, turning back to him a little. She was glad it was the morphine and not anything else...she felt weird...and she hoped she didn't get as loose-lipped as she _usually _did when she got a large dose of pain medication that made her head swim...

"Hiashi-sama," a nurse emerged from the back, looking at Hiashi, then at Neji and Ten Ten cuddling, and at Shino shifting in his seat uncomfortably. It was an odd group at first glance...

"Yes?," Hiashi asked as he stood and faced the nurse, all eyes back on her.

"Hinata-san has awoken," she spoke softly, his eyes lighting up and the others perking up.

"How is she?," he asked immediately.

"I'm not sure," she replied honestly with an apologetic smile. "Doctor Kusanagi had me come and tell you the instant she started stirring."

"I want to see her," Hiashi responded immediately.

"And your guests?," she pointed to the group of three.

"They may be shown back if I find that she is able to handle company," Hiashi replied simply, dampening the other's moods a bit.

"Yes sir, this way," she bowed respectfully and showed him back.

"Stiff," Ten Ten murmured when Hiashi was out of sight.

"Ten," Neji nudged her scolding.

"Sorry," Ten Ten stretched out, untangling from him. "We've been waiting here for a _while _now...I just want to see how Hina-chan is."

"Mmnn," Shino nodded in agreement, looking up at a clock on the far wall. "It is twelve twenty five. Ten Ten and I have been here for nearly three hours and you and Hiashi-san have been here for around five hours."

"Five hours and ten minutes," Neji nodded, shifting a little, himself. The seats were comfortable for a while...but sitting in them for hours made them stiff...

"Mn," Shino nodded again. "The point still stands. We _all _have waited a long time to see Hinata and we _all _want to make sure that she is doing well with our own eyes." Neji slowly nodded in agreement, all three of them anxious to know how she was doing, but helpless to do anything like that at the moment.

"Well...it looks like you're doing just fine," Kusanagi nodded as Hinata sat back on the bed again, the man having raised it so she could properly sit up. The morphine was making it hard for her to move around without her vision going to tunnel vision, like she was going to pass out. On top of that, she felt oddly more liberated and things she meant to keep in her head came out of her mouth...just as she had feared... "You have a steady heartbeat and you are perfectly fine, other than your wounds."

"That's good," she sighed in relief, yawning and covering her mouth with her good hand.

"Yes, it is," he chuckled, making her flush a little and look away. A knock on the door startled them a little, both looking back at it. "Who is it?"

"It's Misa. I brought Hiashi-sama," the nurse called through the door. "May we enter?"

"Yes, of course," Kusanagi replied cheerfully, Misa opening the door and letting Hiashi in. He was quick to step in, Misa following and shutting the door behind them. Hinata didn't miss the way Hiashi's eyes skimmed over her form and all of her bandages before he looked back at the doctor. Was that relief she saw?

"How is she?," he asked immediately after his analyzation of her.

"Besides her wounds, she seems to be doing just fine," Kusanagi nodded to him optimistically. "We still have her on the morphine and we will for a while to dull the pain with all of the stitch work we had to do to her..." Hiashi nodded in understanding.

"Excellent," he replied, inwardly relieved at his daughter's condition. "May I speak with her alone a moment?"

"Yes, of course," Kusanagi nodded. "We will allow you all visitation time now and I'll have Misa bring in lunch in a few minutes and she will check on Hinata-san periodically." Hiashi nodded his approval as Kusanagi stood, both bowing to him politely and exiting the room, shutting the door behind them.

"Hinata," Hiashi spoke, looking back at Hinata as soon as the footsteps were far enough away.

"Father?," she asked softly in reply as he stepped over to her.

"How are you feeling?," he asked softly, the girl seeing the worry tinting his features, making him look even older than he was.

"A-Alright I guess...," she managed with a soft smile. "I don't feel any pain...but my mind is still a little off from the morphine..."

"That is to be expected," he inclined his head a little, looking just a tad less worried. It was awkwardly silent a moment, Hinata getting nervous at his odd look that she couldn't quite decipher. (She wasn't _near _awake enough to do so.) A question had been stewing in Hiashi's mind as he sat in the waiting room and he _had _to know the answer to it... "Tell me, Hinata...I want to know. Why did you defend your title so fiercely against your sister?" Hinata blinked in surprise, not having expected that. Her mouth opened and she replied immediately, to her slight dismay. (She had wanted to _think _about her reply first...)

"Well...I wasn't given much time to think at first, I had to fight for my life," she replied softly, honestly. He blinked at the oddly blunt reply, mildly shocked at how quickly it came spewing from her lips. "But...as we fought at the training grounds, I thought of reasons to keep fighting her for the clan, Shino-kun, and myself. In between attacks, planning, and taunting her into attacking, I came to the realization that Hanabi isn't ready to lead the clan." She had distracted herself with those thoughts in between to block out the pain that Hanabi had inflicted...

"She isn't?," he asked curiously, seeing a bit of haze in her white-lavender eyes as she shook her head. He sat on her bed at her side, intrigued. His decisions were already made, but he wanted to hear what she had to say- she _rarely _spoke her mind. There had only been a handful of times he had been in the room when she was on morphine and heavily influenced by it to speak her mind. Needless to say, he was taking advantage of the situation. "Why not?"

"She's selfish, for one," she frowned lightly, Hiashi's brow rising slightly in his amusement. She wouldn't normally admit something like that. Hinata was internally distressed that her thoughts just kept pouring from her lips like water from a spout. But...at the same time...it had been a _long _time since she'd had a heart-to-heart talk with her father. It was kind of nice... "She would rather live _for _herself than _with _herself, as one might say. She does what she wants and doesn't care of the expense paid for it. She doesn't care if it's right or not, either. ...She serves only herself when she should serve the clan, and she thinks herself high and mighty, above everyone else. That's how she makes her mistakes in battle- underestimating her opponents. And...and...serving herself only, not helping those in the clan at all leads to dislike and distrust and it _could _get her killed. I can't let that happen, no matter _how _horrible she is to me...she's still my sister."

"Indeed," Hiashi replied, nodding at her logic, even though her talk was a little misconstrewed. It was to be expected with her current situation. He held in his amusement, though it showed slightly in his eyes. "So you fought for the good of the clan?" She nodded and he felt pride welling in his chest...but guilt ate at him a little more. "Why did you fight for Shino and yourself, then? Why not allow Hanabi to marry Shino and take over?" It wasn't something that he would have allowed either way, but, hey, he wouldn't have a chance to get this out of her later; why not ask _now _when she wouldn't embarrass herself _too _much? She probably wouldn't remember it, anyhow. He watched in amusement as her face contorted into a mixed look of thoughtfulness and disgust.

"I don't like that thought," she spoke up, amusing him a little more.

"What thought?," he asked curiously.

"Of Hanabi and Shino marrying...," she replied simply, as though it were obvious. "It's just...odd." He couldn't help the crack of a smile inching over his lips. "Not just that, though."

"Oh, no?," he prodded.

"No...Shino would be miserable...and so would Hanabi," she responded, intriguing him a bit. "Hanabi's 'I'm-better-than-you' complex would get on his nerves and Shino isn't in Hanabi's list of 'perfect' men." She had moved her fingers into quotation at the word 'perfect'. "Not to mention the fact that she hates bugs..." He nodded to that knowingly, _that _being the reason Hanabi hated the Aburame so. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know about Hanabi's apparent list of men that she thought were 'perfect'...but...he couldn't resist the opportunity... The men would have to come through him first, after all. He wanted to know who she could possibly be bringing in to him so he could be prepared for it...that is, if she behaved herself and didn't buy herself solitary confinement time in the high-security chakra-sealing cell...

"No man is perfect," Hiashi spoke up with a light scoff. "What does Hanabi see in a man that makes him 'perfect'?"

"Well...," Hinata started. "She said he has to have a really muscular and toned torso, large muscles on his arms, toned pectoral muscles, and flawless skin." She managed to hold back 'tight behind' from the list with some effort. (Even though she didn't _quite _understand that one...) He was already looking like he hadn't wanted to hear all of that. '_Physical traits are the __**only **__things Hanabi sees in men_,' Hiashi clucked his tongue in distaste. "Shino-kun has all of the requirements but the perfect skin...because of the Kikkaichu..." Hiashi nodded knowingly, having seen enough of Shibi's body to know of the openings and scars on their bodies.

Hinata, on the other hand, had only seen Shino's bare torso a single handful of times and had been shocked at the amount of scars he had littered over his body. He had never explained anything more than saying it was from the Kikkaichu. She had never badgered him any more about it because he obviously didn't want to talk about it. This was Hinata's way of respecting him and his personal space and privacy. She frowned as she thought of what Hanabi might do or say to him because of it. "Hanabi would be cruel to him about it...and he can't help the scars he gets from his Kikkaichu... She might...actually _hurt _him with her words...he's self-conscious about it enough as it is." She could see Shino withdrawing into himself at the abuse Hanabi could dish out...she could lose him forever...and she couldn't stand that thought. That was _far _worse than the thought of losing his friendship in the marriage, the thoughts of _that _resurfacing. She didn't want to lose him _forever_! She couldn't let him be tortured by Hanabi, either!

"Hm," Hiashi merely nodded in agreement, seeing the odd frantic emotions playing over her face. He could give a good guess as to what she was thinking, having gone through something somewhat similar when he and Shibi were younger... (She had to be thinking something along the lines of not letting Hanabi hurt Shino, as Shino was one of her closest friends. He had been somewhat the same towards Shibi when they were younger, when they were teammates and Shibi had been self-conscious of his own body. (_All _Aburame went through that stage, it seemed.) Only...Shibi had been idiotic enough to attempt to lie with a girl when they were about fifteen, and the girl had refused to after seeing his body, really putting him down about it. She had made a big deal of it, going so far as to warn other girls away and so on, the boyfriends and other boys getting in on the bullying. Shibi had withdrawn so far into himself that it was almost impossible to talk to him. Needless to say, Hiashi had stepped in after that, and no one had _ever _made fun of his body again. Hiashi made sure of _that_. Shibi was saved and they were better friends from there on out.) Seeing Hinata panic pulled him back from his long-forgotten memories. He needed to change the subject- fast. He blurted out the first thing he could think of, thinking of their previous conversation. "What do _you _look for in men?" He could have slapped himself at the question, seeing her face flush as she blinked up at him in surprise.

"U-Umm...," Hinata stumbled, not having expected that question...especially out of the blue like that... "I'm not sure..." She looked away, embarrassed.

"You find _nothing _in men attractive?," Hiashi asked blandly, half afraid she liked women now. Maybe that _was _a good question to have asked, after all...

"A-Ahh..uuhh...it's not that," she replied, blushing more as she looked back at him, her face nearing a crimson red. "I just...don't think about it much...that's all..." He was relieved, to say the least, but he still didn't have a _real _answer.

"Even so, still I want you to answer the question," he pressed, the girl flinching and looking off at the far wall.

"Well...umm...I...I don't...so much look for...physical attributes...like Hanabi does," she answered slowly, reluctantly. "Men's bodies are...well...umm...nice..." He raised a brow as her face slowly turned a dark shade of crimson. "But...I just...want someone who will be good to me...and be able to love me for _me_...that's all..." He blinked at her short list (compared to her sister's). It took him only a moment to gather his thoughts and respond to her.

"I think you can find that in Shino...can you not?," Hiashi replied, Hinata turning back to him with a slightly darker flush and another blink of her widened white doe eyes. She sputtered on words, shutting her mouth after a moment of that before looking down at her lap as she slowly nodded. She knew Shino already accepted her for who she was and for her faults, _and _he was kind to her...but it was _still _going to be hard for them to turn their friendship into a more intimate relationship while still keeping their friendship in tact. Not to mention embarrassing..._and _she'd never been in a real relationship before, so she had _no _idea how to go about it... "I'm glad you agree. This will be for the better...you'll see." She could only nod as he patted her right shoulder gently. A light rap on the door caught their attention, both sets of eyes going to the door. "Yes?"

"It's Misa," the nurse called through the door. "I have Hinata-san's lunch...may I come in?"

"Yes," Hiashi replied simply, standing as the door was opened by the woman, a covered tray in her arms. He looked back at his still somewhat flushed daughter. "You have some visitors. Shino came to speak with you alone, so I will send him in first. Neji and Ten Ten will be allowed a visit when he leaves."

"O-Ohh...um...alright," Hinata nodded once, her blush flaring up again. She didn't know Shino was there! Hiashi inclined his head before stepping out and Hinata internally panicked, watching the nurse as she cheerfully brought over a rolling tray and set it up in front of her. She got the tray of food she brought it over, setting it atop the rolling tray. She lifted the cover and unveiled it before Hinata, the girl feeling her stomach protest loudly and demand food. She covered her belly with her hands, a slightly darker blush heating her cheeks as the nurse gave a soft laugh.

"Everything is set up, Hinata-san," Misa announced. "You sound like you're hungry, so I will leave you to eat in peace. When you're done, just push the rolling tray aside and I will return to pick it up in an hour or so."

"A-Alright," Hinata nodded once, regretting the move when her head started spinning. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Misa bowed as she left, shutting the door behind her.

"Ohhh," Hinata plopped back against the raised bed wearily. It was only the start of the day and she was already tired. She stopped her train of thought and blinked. "Wait...what time _is _it?" She realized she didn't really know, feeling disoriented from being asleep for a while. There were no clocks in the room, so she couldn't tell and the windows were covered with thick blinds, letting in little to no light. "Well...she said lunch...I think...so it has to be around midday..." With an incline of her head and acceptance that it may be a while before she figures everything out, Hinata started in on her nutritious (though bland) hospital meal.

Hiashi emerged from the double doors that lead to the patient's rooms and into the waiting room, Shino, Ten Ten, and Neji immediately looking at him intently.

"Is she alright? You were in there a while," Neji spoke first, standing. Ten Ten and Shino both followed him soon after, looking a little stiff from the long wait.

"Yes," Hiashi inclined his head. "Hinata seems to be perfectly fine other than her injuries." The three breathed sighs of relief. "But...she _is _on a high dose of morphine...meaning, of course, that her thoughts pour out of her mouth in a slightly garbled manner at times, and she speaks her mind on whatever topic is brought forth." Neji nodded once, having seen her on morphine more than a few times. Shino nodded just the same, having had the same experience with her on morphine over the years. Ten Ten, however, just blinked at him. She, obviously, had never seen the girl on morphine...

"Can we see her now?," Ten Ten asked eagerly, the other two not quite as eager as she was now.

"Shino will go in and speak with her first for the sake of time," Hiashi replied, glancing at the clock before looking back at Shino in particular. "It is growing close to one thirty...I have decided to move the meeting to Hinata's hospital room because she is coherent enough to speak with us. This would probably be the best time to speak with her, actually..." Shino hated to admit that he agreed with that last statement... "Go, now, and speak with her, then Neji and Ten Ten may enter. I will go and inform Shibi of the events and the change in the meeting place."

"Alright...thank you," Shino bowed politely, recieving an incline of the head from the man. He looked back at a stoic Neji with a hint of curiosity about him and a slightly miffed Ten Ten. "I won't take long." Neji nodded once in acknowledgement.

"Thank you. I'd like to see her soon...," Ten Ten responded anxiously, getting a nod from Shino.

"She is in room number one seventy five," Hiashi spoke, Shino turning back to him. "Go straight at the first intersection, then take a left at the next, and a right at the next one. The room is straight down that hall."

"Thanks," Shino nodded once more before starting back to the double doors, getting the subtle prompt to go.

"I will return shortly, as well," Hiashi nodded to Neji, getting the same as he strode to the front door, heading straight for the front gate of the Compound.

"Geez," Ten Ten slumped slightly. "All this secretive clan stuff is starting to depress me..."

"Mmnn," Neji hummed, giving her a sympathetic look. "I'll let you in on whatever I can when I learn more, Ten Ten...but there may not actually be much to tell. Most times things like this are made to seem like big deals, but they're nothing more than additions or changes to treaties between clans." Ten Ten nodded once approvingly.

"Alright...," she sighed softly. "Can we walk around and stretch our legs a little, then? I'm so tired of sitting it's not even funny..."

"Of course," Neji nodded, a smile breaking out over his face at her more normal and less irritable behavior. Wrapping her arm around his, they started their trek around the waiting room. _'I wonder if I should have fibbed like that...,' _he wondered, internally still worried over everything. '_Hiashi said that this meeting will determine the future of the clan...and that __**I'm **__involved, as well as two others_...' His smile died down a good bit as Ten Ten chattered incessantly, the man having tuned it out. _'Shino and Shibi are involved, as well...wait...' _He stopped walking, Ten Ten being pulled back a bit, the girl looking back at him in surprise. '_Future of the clan, Hinata, Shino... Why didn't I figure this out sooner?! Well...I guess I was too concerned about the small details and about __**my **__part in things...nevermind __**that**__. Why would Hiashi and Shibi arrange Hinata and Shino to wed? It would create __**more **__problems, no matter the circumstances_...'

"Earth to Neji!," Ten Ten spoke loudly, pulling on his ear.

"Ah!," Neji gasped in pain, the girl holding her tight, almost pinching, grip on his ear.

"What's wrong? Why'd you just stop like that?," Ten Ten asked with a frown.

"I...ahhh...," Neji stumbled, pulling at her hand. She didn't relent in her grip. "_Please _release my ear..." He hated it when she did this...and she knew it, too...

"Not until you tell me what's up," she replied, anger tinging her voice. "You look like you had an epiphany about something...and _my _guess is that it's the clan business." He inwardly grimanced at her impeccable ability to figure him out. He was _sure _his stoic facade had been up... If he didn't answer her, he knew she would start twisting his ear, so...

"I think I've figured out some of the clan business," Neji admitted easily. "If I'm right, and I'm _not _sure that I _am_, Hinata and Shino are being arranged to marry by Shibi and Hiashi-sama."

"W-What?," she asked in shock, her grip loosening on his ear. He took advantage of her shock and pulled away, snatching her hands up in his so she couldn't do that again.

"Again, it's just and educated guess...I don't know if I'm right or not, but it seems to fit more than anything _else _I've come up with," Neji warned her gently, the girl settling a bit from her shock.

"Why...why would they _arrange _something like that?," Ten Ten asked, her brow furrowed. He sighed softly at her naitivity of clan issues.

"She is heiress, and Shino is the heir of his clan," he explained gently. "It's not uncommon for heirs and heiresses to be arranged to marry. This is definately not something I expected from either of them, but, _again_, I _could _be wrong about this." She shook her head a little.

"For _her _sake, I hope you _are _wrong," Ten Ten came back with a light frown. "I don't agree with arranged marriages and I know Hinata wouldn't feel very good about it, either.

"Yes...I know," Neji inclined his head, gently squeezing her hands in his. "I know..."

"Room one seventy five," Shino read off Hinata's room number, sighing as he finally made it. The hallways were long and he had taken a wrong turn the first time... He had resorted to looking at the room directories on the hallway walls. Taking in a deep breath, his Kikkaichu riled once again, he rapped on the door.

"Come in," Hinata's soft voice called from beyond the door. He slowly opened the door, peering inside at the woman sitting up in bed. She wore a small smile, her face lightly flushed (as usual). If not for the bandages over her wounds and her wounds, the I.V., and her being the hospital, he would have thought her to be just fine. Shino stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

"How are you feeling?," he asked as he turned back to the girl. He idly noticed a mobile tray on wheels pushed off to the side with an empty food tray atop it.

"I'm feeling pretty good, considering my injuries," Hinata answered softly, honestly. "But I think I have the morphine to thank for that." He nodded and approached, pulling a visitor's chair up to her bedside and sitting beside her. The chair was made a little low, but his height allowed him to sit at about eye-level with Hinata. She kind of stared at him a moment, Shino raising a brow at her questionably. "Y-Your face...and your hair...what happened?" (She had never seen him without his hair spiked up with gel.) He inwardly sulked a little and his brow twitched a bit, the man hesitating for a long moment. Her cool hand slid over his face and his attention was drawn back to the worried-looking woman before him. Her face was a little closer than he remembered it being... His cheeks tinted a light pink and he blinked as she flipped his hood back from his head, exposing his hidden limp hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. She blinked at his hair, observing it a moment, before she reached back and threaded her fingers through his ponytail, pulling the hair over his shoulder. The conversation Shino'd had with his father (rather, his father's little fantasy) came back full force at the innocent action, his cheeks flaming and turning into a heated red.

"I ran out of hair gel and my father used the last of his on his own hair," Shino explained quickly, trying hard _not _to think of that conversation. (He was ashamed to admit that it had aroused him some...and being so close in proximity to the subject of that conversation wasn't helping...)

"Oh...," Hinata replied simply, her fingers still tangled in his hair. He was blushing an aweful lot... _'He must be embarrassed of his hair...I mean...I've never seen it down like this before_...,' she thought silently to herself, barely able to keep it contained. She was getting better at keeping her thoughts to herself as time passed and she became a little more aware of her surroundings and such. "Your hair looks good, Shino-kun. You should wear it like this more often." She gave a small smile and twirled her fingers in his thick and somewhat frizzy locks, twisting the ponytail into a long curl as she gently removed her fingers from his hair. Shino flinched, his face growing a little darker in color.

"Um...thanks...," he replied, looking off to the side and taking in deep breaths.

"What happened to your face, Shino-kun? You never answered me...," Hinata prodded, her cool hand caressing his right cheek, over the fist-shaped bruise that resided there. Shino hesitated, raising his hand to her small one, gently pulling it away from his (still slightly sensitive) bruise.

"Kiba and I...we had a fight," he admitted, wanting to get this out of the way. He couldn't tell her _everything_...but he could tell her the jist of it. He watched her white eyes widen in surprise. "I found out from my father last night...about the arranged marriage...and, this morning, I realized that I hadn't told Kiba _anything_. He was still worrying over your odd behavior the night before. I went to his house and I told him...and he wasn't happy about it. We got into a fight over it and he now accepts it to _some _degree..." Hinata sat back, her cheeks slightly pinkened, her small hand slipping from his and back onto her lap. She looked a bit sad, and she _was_, a little. Hinata hated it when Shino and Kiba fought...and he knew it, too. Not to mention...she was a little hurt and saddened that Kiba was so upset by their sudden, forced, engagement. Didn't he understand that it was something that they had _no _choice in? '_I hope this doesn't affect our friendship...__**or **__our ability to work together as a team,' _she thought silently, worridly. '_We are, currently, Konoha's number one tracker team outside of the ANBU ranks...'_

"Umm...are you two...going to be alright?," she asked softly, her worry showing through. Their fights could last for weeks, at times...and she was afraid of it lasting longer since _she _was involved in it this time...

"Mmmnn," Shino hummed and nodded. "Things may be a little tense for a while...but Kiba already said that he accepted it. He just needs some time." Hinata nodded, feeling a _little _better about it all. Shino hesitated only slightly before going on, not letting on in his hesitation this time, an awkward silence just filling the air a moment. "_That _aside...I wanted to speak with you alone about something before Neji and Ten Ten come to see you."

"Uhh...okay," Hinata inclined her head, prompting him to go on as she sat back comfortably in her upright position, her arms resting over her stomach. Shino had to beat down his anxiety, his Kikkaichu almost to the point of hissing at him in anger of the internal disturbance. (_This _was why Aburame had to train to be cool and stoic...besides the obvious reasoning, of course. The Kikkaichu didn't like anxiety and such from their partners...and this was the first time in _years _he had become so out of sorts that they had become _this _angry with him...)

"I wanted...I wanted to make sure that things between _us _are alright, as well," Shino managed to say, his hands clenching together in his anxiety just below the bed, where Hinata couldn't see. His cheeks were still heated a little and Hinata's cheeks colored a little darker than the rosy hue that normally tinted her cheeks. "This is...something _completely _unexpected and sudden that our fathers have planned out for us...and I know it won't be easy...but...I still think of you as my closest friend, Hinata...I will continue to stand by your side through this, to fight with you, and to help you through _anything _you need help with, as always...I'm still here for you, and I wanted you to know that..." He paused briefly, his black shades locked on her widened white orbs. He knew his own cheeks were flushed by the burning sensation within, and Hinata's cheeks had deepened in color. "...and I hope that you still want to maintain our friendship through the marriage, as well." For a long moment, things were tensely silent...and he was afraid of her response...but the silence was starting to smother him by the time she finally replied...

"S-Shino-kun," Hinata spoke softly, her voice almost breathless. In all honesty, his speech had shocked her and caught her offguard, like an unexpected punch to the gut. But...she was glad he felt that way. A smile spread over her face and he released a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "O-Of course...I would also like...to maintain our friendship through everything..." She gave a half nervous little laugh, Shino noticing tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes as his spirit and mood lifted. "H-Honestly...I was afraid of saying anything...because I still wanted to be friends and all...but I didn't know how to say it...and I felt so awkward..." Shino smiled a bit at her nervous rambling, idly noticing her hands tangling together anxiously like they used to. He untangled his own hands, his Kikkaichu pleased with his lack of anxiety now, and he set his hands atop hers.

"Hinata...," he started, the woman looking back at him, tears starting to form and fall. "It's alright. I understand." One hand pulled away from hers and wiped her tears away with such gentleness that it surprised her. Her smile only uplifted as she nodded once to him. He always seemed to understand her in ways that others couldn't...and she always liked that about him. "I felt the same." She nodded once again, having understood his feelings somewhat as he spoke. There was an undertone to his voice that gave it away...it was hard to find normally, but there was more to it this time. He _really _meant it. That made her really happy, a feeling of peace and normality settling in with her again. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad afterall... A moment of more comfortable silence settled between them, Shino slowly retracting his hands from her, his hand on hers giving it a gentle squeeze before pulling away. There was just a touch of awkwardness that had returned (understandable, seeing that they would have to date soon after and marry in three months...), so he decided to turn the subject to something _else _that was nagging at him from the back of his mind... "Neji and Ten Ten are waiting to come and visit you...I will go get them and be back in a moment."

"Okay," Hinata nodded a little with a cheerful smile, the awkwardness easing up a bit more. She was just thinking about maintaining their friendship at the moment, setting aside all thoughts of marriage and dating. She _had _to do this, otherwise her cheeks would heat up unbearably again and she would get flustered just being close to Shino... Said man rose from his seat and gave one more silent nod before exiting the room and shutting the door behind him.

Things were going _much _better than he had expected that they would...

**-End Chapter 4 Part 1-**

- That's it for now, guys, sorry about having to cut it off like that...but at least some things and answered and stuff, right? I'll get on this and try to have it posted up tomorrow or the next day...

- No preview this time, sorry...

- Thanks for reading!

- Please review!


	5. Wayward Weddings and Clan Plans! Part 2

**Arranged Marriage**

**Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream**

**Pairing: Shino x Hinata (From Naruto)**

**A Quick Note**:

- Sorry about having to separate the two pieces of this chapter... I didn't get it entirely finished before I went to the library for a few hours...and then I realized, _after _I had been dropped off, I only had about twenty minutes of battery left on my computer and I didn't have the charger. V.V I felt like an idiot...

- My daughter is sick again...this time with the flu. (We both had a virus last time.) I'm sorry if this is out a little later than I promised, but my daughter comes first.

- **Note **- she got better in a few days...but _that _was scary...she ran a 103.6 degree temperature and was languid and constantly sleepy. Normally she's a little ball of hyped up energy...but she's back to that now and well, so I'm happy.

- This chapter may be shorter than the rest, but the next one will be longer.

- There isn't much interaction between Shibi and Shino this time, either, and I apologize for it...you guys _really _seem to really like it. Though...there are some interactions between Shibi and Hiashi that you might find interesting. XD More Shibi/Hiashi interaction and Shibi/Shino in the next chapter. Possible talks of bachelor/bachelorette parties and Shibi's 'ideas' on it...XD

- I was shocked to learn that over 970 people have read _this _story. 0.0 Holy moley! That's a _lot _of people! Thank you to everyone who's read this story! I'm happy to see so many reading my work, and I know at least twenty of ya'll like it. :P That's good enough for me. XD

- I don't know if there is a Summer Festival in the Naruto series, but there is now. In this fanfiction, at least. XD (There will be Summer and Winter Festivals.)

**- A Special Thanks To**: Clumsy0132, Luna LS, dragonick711, KayseeRP, Guest (?), and paranoidbychoice for reviewing! Thanks guys!

- **Clumsy0132 **- Thank you! lol. I wrote her that way for another fanfiction, but I decided it would go better in this one. XD Hehe XD I felt a little bad for it, but I couldn't resist!

Thank you. I'm doing better, and my daughter is too, now. She had the flu a few days and she about scared me to death... lol. Thank ya. XD (We're still here!)

- **Luna LS **- Thank you. :D

I'm glad that you like it so much! It _was_...I'm glad you noticed because that was just what I was aiming to do. I'm hoping to do it in some other parts as well...

Ah! I'm glad you like it. XD It will be back soon, along with some banter between Hiashi and Shibi...hehe... I'm glad I made you happy. I'll be posting this as soon as my daughter is well enough and I can get to the library again...this time _with _my charger. lol. You're very welcome. :D

- **dragonick711 **- Thank you very much! :D Thank you again- I got better and my daughter caught the flu, but she's finally doing better. I know...it's really weird...

Wow...I don't feel so bad anymore. lol. It's nice to know that there's someone else out there kinda like me. :P

Seriously? Wow...the only kunoichi I've ever paired him with was Hinata...I may have to check the other ones out... I can understand _that_ (nods)... I'm glad you liked it! I will have it out ASAP!

- **KayseeRP **- Thank you! I'm glad ya like it. :D

- **Guest **- Umm...sorry? I've had some issues in real life and I can't be on here that often. I do what I can.

- **paranoidbychoice **- I shall, I shall. (As soon as I possibly can.) lol. She _will _be punished, though it may be in the next chapter...

I'm glad you like it, I do my best. XD Hm...I've never read a crack pairing before...but I know what you mean. I try to think of new plots and things that people haven't seen yet to make it interesting. (Seeing the same old thing time and time again is boring...)

**Disclaimer**:

Is Naruto mine? No.

Are the characters mine? No.

Is this fanfiction mine? Yes. :D

**Arranged Marriage**

**Chapter 4 - Wayward Weddings and Clan Plans! - Part 2**

The white eyes of Hiashi Hyuuga spotted Kikkaichu scurrying about his feet, some flying up to the mansion that loomed ahead. The Aburame Mansion. The rest seemed to be accompanying him up to the door, his eyes returning to the large dark mansion. (They were smart bugs; they could keep themselves from being stepped on.) He approached the front stoop, Shibi opening the door before he could get there.

"Well now..._this _is a surprise," Shibi spoke, his eyes flickering behind his shades from Hiashi's face to the blood stains on his robes momentarily before flickering back up to his face. The Hyuuga stopped a little short of the door and Shibi. "To what pleasure do I owe this visit? ...And why are you covered in blood? Did you get into a scrap before you got here?" Shibi's brow rose with amusement at the thought.

"I wish," Hiashi replied to the jab at him. "May I come in and speak with you a moment?" Shibi could see the seriousness in his gaze and he quickly became serious, too.

"Yes, of course," Shibi inclined his head, moving so that Hiashi could enter. "You can have a seat on the couch and we can talk." Hiashi nodded once and moved past him into the house, Shibi closing the door behind him. The Hyuuga left his shoes at the door and walked over to the leather couch, taking a seat, Shibi following him in the motion and sitting a little ways away from him. (Hiashi liked his space.) "So...what's wrong?"

"I suppose I should start with the fight that broke out this morning," Hiashi replied thoughtfully, Shibi raising a brow and blinking at the man. "I had been speaking with a carpenter of the matter of our children's mansion...and it seems Hanabi overheard a little of the conversation."

"Oh no...please tell me she heard the part where Hinata _isn't _going to be clan leader...," Shibi asked, dread filling him. That would mean...that all that blood on Hiashi's robes...was Hinata's.

"Unfortunately she did not," Hiashi informed him regretfully. "Instead of coming to me, Hanabi acted rashly, thinking her sister was going to best her. She tried to kill Hinata."

"Is Hinata alright?," Shibi asked immediately.

"She is...badly wounded...but she has just come-to and she seems all right," Hiashi filled him in, Shibi letting out a soft breath of relief. He liked the girl and he hated that her sister tried to kill her all the time...it just wasn't right... "Though she _has _been heavily dosed with morphine..." Hiashi sighed softly and Shibi had to hold back a chuckle. Well...he had seen her on it once and he had heard some things from Shino, so he knew it would be...interesting...to attempt to talk to her.

"I'm glad that Hina-chan seems to be alright," Shibi spoke cheerfully. "Are we going to postpone the meeting until tomorrow, then?"

"No," Hiashi surprised him. "She is coherent enough to understand what we need to talk about. We need to tell them about _that _part today. Besides, I managed to get the carpenters and the wedding planner _both _to agree to meet with us tomorrow."

"Well...you sound sure that she is well enough to attend the meeting, so I will trust your judgment," Shibi replied, getting an incline of the head from Hiashi. "It's amazing that you got them both to meet with you on the same day. ...And I'm glad you took my advice about getting a wedding planner. I was really worried about that...and I lost sleep over it..."

"Sorry," Hiashi responded gruffly, looking away. "You were right...there really _is _too much to weddings for the two of us to plan together." Shibi smiled triumphantly from within his high-collared jacket. Hiashi's eyes flashed back to him, the man looking a bit irritated. "That doesn't mean you get to gloat about it."

"You take all of the fun out of things, Hiashi," Shibi chuckled.

"Hmph," Hiashi snorted, Shibi grinning as his long-time friend regained his stoic composure. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that the meeting is still to occur, but it will be moved to Hinata's room at the Hyuuga hospital. The room number is one seventy five."

"Alright," Shibi nodded. "Oh...and I wanted to ask if you've seen Shino?" He'd picked up the hair gel, but Shino hadn't shown up to get his. He was pretty sure he knew where he was, but he wanted to ask and make sure...

"He is at the hospital, talking to Hinata as we speak," Hiashi responded, Shibi nodding understandingly. He must've been there all that time waiting for Hinata to wake up... "I need to get back. See you in around half an hour?" Hiashi had glanced up at the clock, seeing it was twelve fifty three.

"Actually...I can leave now," Shibi surprised Hiashi, the man blinking at him. "I know it's a little early, but let's go ahead and get the meeting out of the way and be done with it." He had his keys; all he needed to do was get his shoes on.

"Hn," Hiashi inclined his head, pleasantly surprised. "Let us go, then." He stood, quickly followed by a nodding Shibi as they went to the door and donned their shoes. With swift, sure steps, they were out the door (the door locked), and they were on their way back to the Hyuuga Compound.

Shino opened the waiting room door a crack, looking for Neji and Ten Ten, the two still strolling about the large room, attempting to avoid the more sickly Hyuuga. They neared Shino's side of the room, the two talking and looking worried. Shino cleared his throat, catching their attention.

"You can come back now," Shino announced, Neji looking relieved and Ten Ten ecstatic.

"Well, what are you waiting for?," Ten Ten replied somewhat aggressively as she pulled Neji along behind her. "Show us the way to her room." Shino could feel a sweat drop on his brow as Neji mouthed a silent apology. He could only nod twice and lead the anxious two back to Hinata's room. Ten Ten was quick to enter, the door left open a little. "Knock knock."

"Ten Ten-chan!," Hinata called, her demeanor brightened a bit more as Ten Ten abandoned Neji to go to Hinata's side. Neji simply shook his head as he entered, Shino bringing up the rear and shutting the door behind him.

"How are you doing, Hina-chan?," Ten Ten asked, sitting in the seat Shino had sat in only minutes before her. Shino took to leaning against the wall near to the door (but out of the way, so it wouldn't hit him if it swung open) and Neji stood beside Ten Ten.

"I'm doing well, Ten Ten-chan," Hinata responded cheerfully. "I can't feel any pain at all."

"That's _really _good," Ten Ten laughed, rubbing the younger girl's head a little, making her protest it softly. "You were pretty badly hurt, so that's good to hear." Hinata nodded in agreement to that.

"How are _you _doing?," Hinata turned the topic, not wanting to revisit the frightful battle with her sister again. "Ten Ten-chan? Neji-kun?" She smiled at the older man, getting a nod in return. Inwardly, he was relieved that she was alright...but her being on the morphine kind of made him wary of what she may say or do. It depended on how strong it was at the moment...

"We're doing fine, don't worry about _us_. You just worry about getting better," Ten Ten gently fussed at her, gaining an amused smile from the girl.

"Mother hen," Hinata spoke amusedly but also almost accusingly, making Ten Ten blink in surprise and blush. There it was- influence from the morphine. Hinata inwardly sighed, though she was amused. At least she could keep the more important things (the ones that would make her _really _embarrass herself) in her head...

"I-I am _not_!," Ten Ten argued immediately.

"You are," Hinata argued right back with her, Neji backing up a step or two so he wouldn't become involved in it.

"Not!," Ten Ten shot back, her cheeks flushed a little more.

"You are, too," Hinata insisted. "Anyway...didn't you say that one time tha-..." Hinata blinked, stopped mid-sentence by Ten Ten's hand clamped firmly over her mouth. The rest of her sentence was going to be 'that you really wanted to have children'. (Thus her motherly looking after people when they were ill, injured, and whatnot.) Ten Ten had confided that in her on one of their shopping trips into town- she wanted to marry Neji and have a few kids of her own. (Ten Ten also admitted that she and Neji had talked about getting married, but nothing had come of it yet.) She was tired of Neji stalling and she was becoming afraid that he didn't _really _want to marry her... (Maybe he had fallen for another or he had commitment issues or something...)

"We're not talking about _that_," Ten Ten managed to save herself, giving Hinata a 'tell and die' look. She slowly nodded, able to keep it back now. Neji looked between the two curiously, as Shino did. Ten Ten slowly released her hand from Hinata's mouth, leaning back a bit.

"Sorry Ten Ten-chan," Hinata apologized softly. "Sometimes I can't keep my thoughts in my head when I'm on morphine..."

"It's alright...," the older girl sighed, still lightly flushed. "Just...don't talk about it...okay?"

"Okay," Hinata nodded easily, putting it out of her mind so she wouldn't think about it and accidentally let it slip.

"Do I _want _to know what this is about?," Neji asked, noticing Ten Ten stiffen.

"Forget it was ever mentioned!," Ten Ten snapped defensively, the man backing away a step more.

"_Alright _already," Neji sighed. "Geez..." Ten Ten looked away and it was oddly tense a long moment. Then...there was a rapping at the door.

"Umm...yes?," Hinata called, the door cracking open. The nurse from before, Misa, stuck her head inside.

"I just wanted to see if it was alright for me to take your tray," Misa replied softly, amiably.

"Oh...umm...yeah," Hinata nodded, pointing at the food tray atop the rolling tray pushed against the far wall from the door. Misa was quick to retrieve it.

"Please excuse me," she bowed and started out the door when she bumped into someone.

"Excuse me, miss," the deep voice of Shibi Aburame spoke.

"O-Oh...excuse me...," Misa flushed. She inclined her head and scurried away.

"Father?," Shino asked in surprise as Shibi poked his head into the room with a hum of acknowledgement. "What are _you _doing here?"

"Why, I'm here for the meeting," Shibi replied, as though it were common sense. He stepped into the room, the figure of Hiashi behind him. "And to see Hinata-chan. How are you holding up?"

"A-Ahh...I'm okay," Hinata smiled somewhat nervously as her stomach churned at the thought of the meeting.

"That's good to hear," Shibi nodded. "I was worried when I heard what had happened from Hiashi-san."

"Mmmnn," Hinata nodded once, her eyes saddening a little. '_I wonder what happened to Hanabi_...,' she thought silently.

"It's good to see you, too, Neji-san, Ten Ten-chan," Shibi greeted them politely, getting a small, polite greeting out of both of them.

"Ten Ten-san," Hiashi addressed, the girl stiffening slightly.

"Yes, sir?," she asked attentively.

"Can you take this and go to the front to get everyone a drink from the vending machines?," He asked, surprising them _all_. He held out a hand with money inside it.

"Umm...sure," she replied cluelessly. "What does everyone want?"

"Water," Hiashi spoke easily.

"Water," Neji nodded to her as she looked at him.

"Water," Hinata responded when she looked at her.

"Green tea," Shibi surprised them. "I saw it when I was coming in and it looked good..." She nodded.

"Water for me," Shino finished up the list, Ten Ten nodding.

"Four waters and one green tea coming up," she announced, going out of the door and shutting it behind her.

"Is there some reason you sent Ten Ten off on that odd task?," Shibi asked expectantly with a raised brow.

"There is," Hiashi nodded. "Those vending machines are slow, so it will buy me a little time..." Shibi's brow raised a little higher and the other three looked at him in some semblance of surprise. "First of all, Shino-san, Hinata...we have an announcement to make."

"Ohh! Can I?," Shibi asked, excitement in his voice.

"I don't know, _can _you?," Hiashi replied with a light frown, getting a 'heh' from the man.

"_May _I?," Shibi corrected himself.

"You may," Hiashi nodded, Shino twitching, Neji's brow rising, and Hinata smiling even more nervously at the two.

"Alright," Shibi clapped his hands together, making the three flinch. He smirked from within his jacket. "First off, I'm not sure if you're aware of this yet, Neji-san, but Hinata and Shino have been arranged by the two of us to wed. They will be married three months from now." Neji's eyes widened in surprise, inwardly shocked that he was right about that. "But..._this _is what both Hinata and Shino _don't _know." Both looked up at him both curiously and reluctantly, not sure that they could take another surprise from them. "Because Hiashi and I had issues deciding where they should live and how to lead our clans, we decided that they wouldn't live in either the Mansion or the Compound, _and _they will not be the leaders of our clans."

"Ah!," Neji gasped, shocked even more at the odd curveball they were throwing at the two.

"W-What?," Hinata asked in shock, her white eyes owlishly wide.

"Hm?!," Shino hummed, leaning away from the wall. "What does that mean, _exactly_?"

"It means that we've decided to remove you from your positions as heir and heiress," Shibi paused with a 'henh' to be dramatic. "And we've decided to move you into your own mansion that we will have built for you. You will start your own clan as a combination of the Hyuuga and Aburame." He gave them a moment to absorb that, both of them shocked into silence.

"What about clan heirs, then?," Neji asked in their stead. "You can't go without heirs to take over the clans."

"You are correct," Hiashi inclined his head. "And _that _is why I sent Ten Ten from the room."

"Hm?," Shibi blinked over at his old friend, seeing a glint in his eyes. A smirk slowly crossed his face as he got it. "You sly old dog..." Hiashi ignored that statement.

"_You _will be taking over in Hinata's stead," Hiashi announced, all three somewhat shocked at the statement. "You have one week to propose to Ten Ten or choose another woman suitable to bear your heirs for the clan. Do you have a ring?"

"W-Well...I...umm...yes," Neji managed to get out, his own cheeks heated. It was a rare sight to see (Neji blushing), slightly awing Hinata and Shino felt a little bad for him.

"Did you plan on asking Ten Ten to marry you?," Hiashi asked with a raised brow.

"After I got your blessing," he nodded once. Hinata smiled a little, happy to hear that. It would put Ten Ten's fears to rest when he asked her...

"You have it, more or less," Hiashi replied, Shibi's brows risen a bit in his amusement and surprise. "You have one week."

"Sir," Neji inclined his head, feeling a little winded. He had been waiting for the Summer Festival to propose...in their favorite spot when the fireworks started up. He sighed. '_So much for __**that**__,' _he inwardly sulked a little. (He had planned _everything _out for that day- and it had taken him _weeks _to plan it! Now he had to find some way to plan things out for a day that week...talk about short notice...)

"That aside, I feel that we should allow Ten Ten and another into the meeting," Hiashi spoke to Shibi, turning back to the man. Shibi's brows rose yet again.

"Who and why?," Shibi asked shortly, his brow furrowing in slight confusion.

"I was thinking Kiba, perhaps," Hiashi replied thoughtfully, making Neji and Hinata blink while Shino tensed. "And as for why...to be their best man and maid of honor, of course. They would be directly involved in the wedding and helping the two either way." Hinata tensed in remembrance of her talk with Shino beforehand. How would Kiba feel about that? Would he be hurt to be left out or hurt to be in the wedding...? She worried over the matter silently, not sure what to do.

"That sounds good to me," Shibi nodded understandingly. "Hinata? Shino? What do you think? Keep in mind they will be the ones going shopping with you and all."

"W-Well...," Hinata started nervously, a light flush on her cheeks. "I would like Ten Ten-chan as the maid of honor...but...umm..."

"I let Kiba in on the wedding earlier this morning," Shino admitted, surprising the two parents. "He wasn't exactly...thrilled to hear of it..." he turned and pulled his hood away from his face a little to show his bruise more clearly. "We had a fight over it..."

"That's a nasty bruise," Shibi winced, figuring out what had happened.

"Hm," Shino hummed unhappily.

"Why would he want to fight over the fact that Hinata is to be married to you?," Hiashi asked, his brow furrowed. Shibi cleared his throat, Hiashi looking over at him. He, very subtly, shook his head. Taking the hint, Hiashi dropped it and made a mental note to ask him again later. "What do _you _think of it, then, Hinata?"

"I...ummm...I think we need to talk with Kiba-kun...before a decision can be made," Hinata answered slowly, slightly hesitantly.

"Fine," Hiashi inclined his head, respecting her wish on that one. It was a logical choice to make. "We will wait on that until after you've spoken with Kiba. If he doesn't want to take part, we will find someone else more suitable." They nodded in understanding, Hinata and Shino not looking forwards to that talk.

"Knock knock," Ten Ten's voice sounded from the door. "Can someone open the door for me? My arms are full..." Neji looked at Hiashi, who nodded in return.

"I've got it," Neji spoke up, walking over to the door and opening it.

"Thanks," Ten Ten smiled with a soft sigh of relief.

"Mnn," Neji nodded, taking a couple of the drinks. "Let me help you." She nodded the two getting the drinks handed out, thanks coming from each person as they handed them the drink.

"I guess I should probably go now, right?," Ten Ten asked a tad awkwardly, inching towards the door.

"Stay," Hiashi commanded, his voice allowing no room for argument. "Plans have changed. You will be incorporated into this meeting." Ten Ten looked at him in obvious surprise, then at Neji, getting a little nod from him.

"Umm...alright," she answered, looking back at Hiashi with a nod of her own. She slid the door shut since she was close to it, feeling a little out of place in the slightly crowded room.

"Does anyone have a problem with holding the meeting here?," Shibi asked somewhat amiably to ease the tension and Ten Ten's nervousness. (It was her first official meeting, after all.) He got shakes of the heads from each person. "Alright then, let's fill Ten Ten in and start the meeting, shall we?" Shibi looked over at Hiashi, who nodded, in turn. Said Hyuuga turned to the young woman, his serious look unnerving her a little.

"To start, I will inform you that Shino and Hinata have been arranged to wed," Hiashi started, Ten Ten's eyes widening at the news. "They will marry in three months. We have also decided, for the best of our children, that they will have their own mansion away from the Aburame Mansion and the Hyuuga Compound, along with having them start their own clan. We will name other heirs that will take over our own clans." He paused, seeing the girl take half a step back. "Are you understanding everything so far?"

"Y-Yeah...," Ten Ten spoke quietly, thinking it all over. '_I can't just let them be arranged to marry! It's not right_!,' she thought angrily. _'And Hanabi will take over! __**That's **__not good, either_!' "About the heirs..."

"Neji will be taking over the Hyuuga clan," Hiashi spoke immediately. "And yours?" He looked at Shibi expectantly.

"I've decided to name my nephew, Shinichiro, head Aburame," Shibi inclined his head. (Shibi had thought on the matter, but he couldn't bring himself to marry another just to have another child. He couldn't betray Shizuka like that...she was his one and only.) "He's already married and they have a little one on the way, so it makes things _that _much easier." Hiashi inclined his head, turning back to the stunned girl. She had looked back at Neji, the man not surprised at the information. _'How long has he known_?,' Ten Ten silently asked, her heart dropping. _'Does that mean...that Neji and I...we can't...be together anymore_...?'

"Excellent," Hiashi spoke as he looked at Ten Ten. Her own cool facade had come up, the man knowing that she was upset about something or another already. She only pulled that up when she was in mental anguish or when she was in battle. Neji knew it just as well as he did, but he knew a little more of the reasoning behind her anger and hurt. Hiashi figured Neji would deal with the issues with her later. He looked back at Shino and Hinata, Shino looking stoic, but he could see the very slight signs of the man's discomfort with the whole situation. (It came from years of working with Shibi.) Hinata looked nervous, the girl nibbling on her lower lip and working the end of the blanket with her fingers.

"You can't just marry off Shino and Hinata...and then Neji, too," Ten Ten suddenly protested, unable to hold her thoughts in anymore. She felt like her heart was going to burst...

"And just why can't we?," Hiashi asked coolly.

"Because it's not right!," Ten Ten protested. "You're treating them like cattle being bred to get better cows!"

"Ten Ten," Neji spoke warningly, taking a step towards her.

"No, Neji. In a sense, she is right," Hiashi spoke, stunning them all a little. All but Shibi, who shifted his shades up to the bridge of his nose. "_That _is what clan heirs and heiresses do for the better of their respective clans. They breed with only the best and lead their clans. It worked out for the better in _this _case. For Shino, it kept him from being disowned for not marrying and reproducing...he has until twenty five to marry and at least start before he is disowned, by Aburame law." Shibi nodded as Ten Ten looked at him in shock. "And it saved both of my own children, as well. Hinata is strong...but she still lacks what is needed to run _this _clan. Our own are disowned by the time they reach twenty four..." He paused, Ten Ten looking a tad mortified. "And to both our luck and misfortune, Hanabi has ruined her own chances by attempting to kill her sister. It disqualifies her and allows her to keep from being disowned...but not without severe punishment. In a way, we were lucky it worked out this way. In another, it is not so good for the health of _both _of my daughters." Ten Ten seemed to be coming down from her shock, thoughts and emotions flickering through her eyes faster than he could read. "Do you understand _now_...?"

"I do...," she answered slowly, softly. In a way, she was glad to hear that Hanabi would be receiving punishment, that both she and Hinata wouldn't be disowned along with Shino (though she still thought that the whole 'creating their own clan' thing was a little insane), and that Neji would be taking over...but, at the same time, she was a little upset and depressed by it. She wasn't an heiress...and she wasn't clan material. She and Neji wouldn't be together, she _knew _it now... "But why do you have those awful rules? Why can't you just...change them?"

"Because, awful as they are, there _are _good intentions behind them and good things that come of them," Shibi re-entered the conversation, his voice soft but stern. "If we don't have heirs and heiresses, the clan will die out. There will be no one to lead them. Those without a leader have a tendency to wipe themselves out or act rashly in a way that is self-destructive to them _all_. We need those rules to survive, strict as they are. ...Like parents keeping their children in line, this is much the same thing...only a tad more extreme." Hiashi nodded to that in agreement. Ten Ten sighed heavily, seeing her loss of this battle. Now she just felt tired... Both parents saw defeat written in her eyes, the girl understanding and accepting things (with reluctance).

"Okay," she spoke, stepping backwards and leaning back against the wall, near to the door. "I have one more question." Shibi held his hand up, signaling that she could ask her question. "What would have happened...if Hinata had lost that battle with Hanabi?" Hiashi frowned lightly at the thought, the man looking over at Shibi. He could tell the Aburame was grimacing from the inside of his jacket, not wanting to think of the consequences of Hinata's loss.

"Hmm...," Hiashi hummed as he looked back at Ten Ten, Shino surprised at the question and Hinata nervous by it. "I'm sure Hinata can explain. She already told me that she thought of it in battle." He motioned to the surprised girl, Ten Ten blinking at her in her own bit of surprise. Shibi and Shino were just as surprised, each looking at her with a raised brow. Neji wasn't as surprised as he looked at his cousin a bit knowingly. (He figured she would have thought that far ahead, the consequences urging her on to her win.)

"Well...umm...that's true," Hinata nodded nervously, holding her thoughts back by biting her lip as she looked up at Ten Ten.

"Tell me, Hinata...what would have happened?," Ten Ten asked, noticing her hesitance of the question. "I want to know the truth, and I want it straight. No sugar coating it or beating around the bush." Hinata sighed softly, stopping the nibbling of her lip to allow the information to come forth as it was begging to.

"If I would have lost...Hanabi would have killed me and forcefully taken over as heiress," Hinata began her explanation. She looked up at her father. "Have you and Shibi-san already filled out the paperwork between clans for the marriage?" He nodded, making the girl swallow hard, Ten Ten's brow furrowing in confusion. Shino's face contorted in disgust, the man glad his coat hid his face from view. Hinata looked back at Ten Ten. "That means that Shino-kun would have been forced to marry Hanabi in my stead. Everything would have still occurred, but Hanabi would be Hyuuga leader and Shino would be Aburame leader. It would have been absolute and they would have had to...make heirs for both clans..." Ten Ten's nose wrinkled in her own disgust at that situation, the girl glad that Hinata was still alive and that Shino wouldn't have been forced to marry _Hanabi_. Ugghhh...it was a scary thought...

"So you fought for Shino, then?," Shibi spoke up suddenly, surprising most of the people in the room.

"Umm...," Hinata blinked in surprise, her eyes widening and her cheeks flushing.

"I mean, you fought for your life and your clan...but that means that you also fought for Shino, correct?," Shibi asked, the man grinning a little from within his coat. Shino was surprised at the way his father worded that, not having thought of it _that _way...

"Umm...well...I guess so...yes," Hinata nodded once, her eyes down casted to her lap a she played with a strand of her long hair. "I thought about it while we fought, anyway... I know...it's not exactly pleasant...to be arranged to marry me...but...it would have been much worse with Hanabi... She is a very cruel person sometimes...and she doesn't like bugs...or men with scars on their bodies...and I couldn't let Shino-kun be with her because of that..." Hiashi's brow raised slightly, somewhat amused that she _actually _admitted that aloud again (thanks to the morphine). Hinata was flushed heavily at the admittance, Neji rather surprised and Ten Ten mildly shocked, wondering if Hinata had some hidden feelings for Shino she wasn't sharing... Shino was even more so, the man fully turned back to her at the admittance. His face was lightly flushed and his eyes widened, the man thankful that his coats and shades hid his face from view. _'She did that...for me_?,' Shino thought, something within him warming at that. (She explained it too well, giving way that she had, indeed, thought over that particular issue thoroughly while she was still completely lucid.) Shibi smiled more sincerely within his coat, his eyes softened.

"You're much like your father, you know. A chip off the old block," Shibi commented, getting all eyes back on him again. Hinata flushed a little more, looking at him curiously. Hiashi blinked, understanding almost immediately what he was talking about, looking away from his friend.

"What does _that _mean?," Hinata asked outright, Shibi smiling a bit more.

"Your father did something similar for me," Shibi admitted, surprising them further. "Not that we were arranged to marry or anything like _that_, but he fought on my behalf one time from cruel people of that nature. I'm sure you remember that, hmm, Hiashi?" Shibi nudged Hiashi in the side slightly teasingly. Shino and Hinata were kind of shocked at the interaction between their fathers, and curious as to what happened between them. Ten Ten and Neji were just as curious.

"I suppose so...," he replied, still not looking at Shibi.

"The fact that you're refusing to look at me proves it," Shibi grinned. "You _do _remember."

"So I do...what does it matter?," Hiashi asked blandly, finally looking back at Shibi.

"It matters because of the _way _you helped me-it was somewhat the same as what Hinata did for Shino," Shibi replied simply. "Under different circumstances, of course."

"Because of your stupidity," Hiashi shot back at him with a slightly irritated look. "There is a _world _of difference between the two events, despite the basic similarities."

"Perhaps...," Shibi replied, the man sounding a little deflated by his tone. "But my point still stands." Hiashi looked at him stoically for a long moment, pondering the meaning of it as he compared events.

"Yes...and it is relevant," Hiashi inclined his head, the Aburame grinning in his victory.

"Umm...not to be rude or anything...but what are you two talking about?," Ten Ten asked, the first to give in to her curiosity. Both men looked back at her with a blink.

"Oh...that was rude of us, wasn't it?," Shibi asked amiably. "We went on and on about a subject none of them knew of..."

"Hn," Hiashi reluctantly hummed in agreement. "It is an event long passed. To condense it greatly, Shibi did something idiotic that got him into trouble with bug-hating people as well as those who hate anyone with imperfect bodies. I stepped in when things got out of hand and they never bothered him again. End of story." Sweat drops ran down the brows of the younger shinobi at the short and colorless tale.

"That's not quite how _I _remember it...," Shibi spoke up, frowning slightly from within his coats. Hiashi turned back to him with a skeptical look.

"How do _you _remember it, then?," Hiashi asked almost challengingly.

"Basically the same, but you cut out major details," Shibi pointed out.

"It is the facts- black and white, simple and clear," Hiashi came back at him. "They don't need to know any more than that."

"I believe different- they can learn from the past... For instance, you got just as injured as Hinata when you fought," Shibi revealed, shocking them somewhat. "_And _you went alone with no onlookers...in the middle of a thunder storm, as well. Not to mention the fact that, instead of going to a hospital, you came to _my _house."

"I wanted you to know that I took care of your problem...you were my teammate," Hiashi snorted, the others feeling a little nervous at the argument and slightly rising tensions. They were also kind of shocked that he and Shibi were teammates..._none _of them had known about it... "And, for your information, I didn't _need _to go to the hospital. It wasn't _that _bad..." Even _he _sounded a little unsure of that when he said it, but his stoic facade was still up, keeping them from saying anything about it.

"_Right_," Shibi smirked, his voice sarcastic. "And you _didn't _almost bleed out on my couch and you _didn't _have a heart-to-heart talk with me, thinking that you were dying."

"I was out of it from blood loss," Hiashi came back somewhat weakly, the falter only slight in his voice. "I don't even remember what we talked about that night..."

"Liar," Shibi laughed lightly, Hiashi glaring at him a little.

"I will show you who is-," Hiashi started and stopped, interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat.

"No offense...but can we put petty arguments aside?," Neji asked gently but with a serious edge to his voice. "We came here to talk about Hinata and Shino's arranged marriage did we not?" Both men just looked at him a long moment, Neji feeling a little nervous as he kept his stoic facade up. His only outward show of it was a light shifting from one foot to the other. After an impossibly long and tense minute, the two men looked back at one another with a slight nod (the two silently agreeing to put it behind them for the time being and cooperate) before looking back at Neji.

"You are right," Hiashi inclined his head. "Hmm...where were we?"

"We told them about the clan heirs and separate living arrangements, along with the fact that Shino and Hinata will be starting their own clan," Shibi spoke up, tapping a finger against his temple. "So then...that leaves...the _other _thing..." Hiashi inclined his head knowingly, his mind caught back up to where it was supposed to be.

"Yes...," Hiashi replied evenly, looking back at the couple. "I arranged the carpenter to build your new home to meet with us tomorrow at two, along with a wedding planner. It was far too much for us to be able to do everything by ourselves..." Shibi nodded vigorously to that. "The carpenter will help you draw up the blue prints for your new home and it will be built according to that, as well as all of your wants and needs. It will be large, of course, and you will be expected to fill this house over time." Both Hinata and Shino blushed at that. "I will let them handle that tomorrow so we won't have to worry about it... I believe that covers everything we had wanted to talk about..."

"Oh...I have something to add," Shibi spoke up, surprising them some. "As soon as Hina-chan is well enough, I order you both to go on a date!" Hiashi raised a brow at the man.

"W...What?," Shino asked in surprise with a blink as both blushed, Hinata much more than Shino.

"An official date," Shibi replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "So others will know you're together and it will get you a little closer to the more intimate level you need to be on." He caught eyes with Hiashi, the man nodding approvingly. "Also...did you bring it?"

"Hm..? Oh! Yes," Hiashi nodded, digging into a pocket. "I nearly forgot..." The four others looked between the two odd friends, seeing Hiashi pull something from his pocket, the item unseen in his tightly-fisted palm. "This is for you both." He stepped forwards to Shino, surprising him a little. "Hold out your hand." Shino did as he was told, the man mildly shocked when something cool fell into his hand. Two somethings, actually. He looked at the two plain golden rings a moment, surprised that they had already gotten the engagement rings for them. "Put yours on and Hinata's on her." Shino slowly nodded, putting the larger ring on his left ring finger before stepping over to Hinata. She shyly offered up her left hand and he took it gently in one of his own large hands and slid the ring over her ring finger with his other hand. He released her hand slowly, both looking down at their new rings. It was official now...and it was more real to them (not just talk anymore) with the weight of the rings on their fingers... "You need to come by here tomorrow by two pm, Shino...Shibi, you may come if you want." The older Aburame nodded to that. "You will first meet with the carpenter and the wedding planner will be in an hour after that. It will depend on Hinata's condition where the meeting is to be held. I'm sure I can send Neji to inform you of the location tomorrow." He eyed the younger Hyuuga, the man nodding obediently. He looked back at Shibi. "Good. Everything is settled now and we can adjourn until tomorrow."

"Hm," Shibi hummed and nodded approvingly. "Do any of you have questions or anything?" He looked to the younger generation, seeing slow shakes of their heads. "Good. Meeting adjourned."

"I will see you out," Hiashi nodded to his friend, Shibi inclining his head as they left the room swiftly, shutting the door behind them. They walked silently through the hospital corridors a moment. "Why did you have to bring _that _into it?"

"Hum? Oh...that time when we were about fifteen?," Shibi asked, getting an unhappy nod and hum from the man. "Because...Hinata reminds me of you. Or, rather, she did in that moment, anyway." Hiashi slowly nodded to that, another silence befalling the two. Hiashi lead him out of the double-door entrance to the back and through the waiting room to the front doors of the Hyuuga hospital.

"Can you make it back from here?," Hiashi asked as they stepped outside.

"I believe I can...it isn't the _first _time I've been to your hospital," Shibi replied, a hint of amusement in his voice as Hiashi snorted at him.

"Good," the Hyuuga replied easily. "See you tomorrow." He turned his back to the Aburame and started to walk back inside.

"Hiashi?," Shibi hailed, stopping the Hyuuga. He turned his head so he was peeking over his shoulder at Shibi, showing he was listening. Hiashi was actually mildly shocked to notice the sense of calmness about the man and he could tell he was smiling. "Thanks...for what you did for me back then." Hiashi was a little startled by the sudden change in the man.

"Hmm...you're welcome...I suppose," Hiashi replied, gaining a little chuckle from the man. He turned around and went back inside without another word.

"Same old stiff," Shibi mused aloud to himself. "He can't take a word of thanks..." Shaking his head, he started navigating his way out of the Hyuuga Compound.

"Well..._that _was...interesting," Ten Ten sighed as soon as the two were far enough away. "Are those two always like that?"

"Not that _I've _seen," Shino admitted, shaking his head, his middle finger and pinky rubbing against his new ring. It felt odd on his hand- he'd never worn a ring before...

"Hm," Neji nodded. "Hiashi's never been so informal in a meeting before..."

"Weird...," Ten Ten shook it off, trying to shake the thoughts from her head as she looked back at Shino and Hinata, Shino looking a little...off (down, upset, _something_- she couldn't quite place it)...and Hinata was still flushed as she played with her new ring. "Are you two..._really _alright with this? I mean...I know you were teammates and all...but _marriage_?"

"We don't have much of a choice in the matter," came Hinata's soft voice, mildly surprising her as Hinata looked up at her. "We _have _to be alright with it."

"Hm...," Shino hummed and nodded solemnly, looking back at his long-time friend. "We talked about it...and we are...a _little _better off than we were before." Hinata nodded a bit with a slightly nervous, slightly shy smile as she looked at him. _'I wonder if she will ever look at me the same way again...?,' _Shino questioned himself mentally, having noticed a barrier come up between them, the girl as shy as she was the first time they had met. He didn't like it...he just wanted things to be more normal between them again...

"Geez," Ten Ten sighed, not liking the interaction between them now. She knew they didn't like it, but they weren't objecting... '_I guess I'll just have to girl talk with Hinata later_,' she internally mused, looking back at Neji. He looked...stoic with a hint of discomfort that could be noticed only by those who had been around him a long time. "And _you're _okay with all of this, too?" Neji looked at her a moment, seeming reluctant to answer.

"I _have _to be...," Neji replied softly. "Like them, I don't have a choice in the matter." Ten Ten groaned softly, hating his answer.

"Okay...well...I'm going home now," Ten Ten announced, more than ready to get home, get a shower, and go to bed. She'd have an early start the next day, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "This on top of an all-nighter was a little much for me..." Neji nodded, somewhat sympathetic for her. She'd never been in a meeting before and this one wasn't exactly the most pleasant one... "Good bye Shino, Hinata, I hope things go well for you two."

"Hm," Shino inclined his head to her politely, hoping the same.

"Good bye, Ten Ten," Hinata replied softly, still out of it but biting back her hopes for the same and doubts that it would be. "Have a good night."

"Hm," Ten Ten nodded to her. "Rest and get healed up soon, alright?"

"Okay," Hinata nodded and smiled brightly at the girl, making her sigh a little and twitch at her odd behavior that she was sure was the morphine's doing. '_No __**wonder **__those two were reluctant to come see her...,' _she mused inwardly. She shook it off and looked back at Neji.

"Bye Neji," Ten Ten spoke somewhat softly. "I hope things work out for you, too."

"Thank you, Ten Ten," Neji inclined his head and drew near to her. He pulled her into an embrace and she was slightly hesitant to return it, he noticed. _'This may be the last time I hug him_,' she thought silently to herself, trying to ignore the stinging in her eyes. 'The _last time we are together like this_...' She accidentally squeezed him in her returned embrace. It didn't hurt him or anything, but he knew that she was upset and she needed time and space to accept things. She started to pull away and he pulled her into a gentle chaste kiss that she treasured. _'It could be our last_...' They pulled away, Hinata and Shino both feeling a little awkward. "Do you need me to see you out?" _'Why not...? It could be the last time I get to hold him like this...to be so near to him_...'

"Please," Ten Ten nodded. Neji nodded back and ignored the flickering of her eyes that bothered him immensely. _'She needs time and space_,' he reminded himself. But...in all actuality...it was the _opposite _that she needed. If only he knew...

"This way," Neji pulled away from her and locked hands with her hand. "I'll be back later to check in with you, Hinata." The girl nodded knowingly with a small smile, making a shooing motion to them so he could go talk to and be with Ten Ten a little before she left. He shot Hinata a raised brow and grateful look, a smile pulling at his lips a little as he turned and left with Ten Ten. Once again, Shino and Hinata were alone...and it was awkwardly silent a long moment.

"Shall I...remain with you?," Shino asked softly, Hinata looking up at him and locking eyes with him again (finally!). "Or...do you need more rest?" Hinata thought on it a moment, feeling weary from the happenings.

"I...umm...I _am _tired," she admitted softly, Shino glad she was still being honest with him. _'But I still want him to stay_...,' a little voice from within her mind protested, Hinata a little surprised at herself for the odd want of his presence nearby. "But...umm...could I ask you...to stay..? Only until I fall asleep, though." Shino blinked at the timid girl, seeing her withdraw, her eyes down casting to the bed yet again. It was an odd request...but he didn't mind it in the least. (After all, it wasn't the first time she had asked for company when she was about to rest while she was on morphine... Hinata seemed to like keeping company when on the painkiller, _especially _when she was on the verge of falling asleep. He figured that the person staying acted like a security blanket that helped her get to sleep. Shino couldn't find it in himself to refuse her either way.)

"Of course," Shino nodded, finding the seat beside her bed and sitting again. "I will stay until you fall asleep." Hinata was a bit flushed as she nodded and looked back to him happily.

"Thank you...Shino-kun," Hinata replied softly, quickly moving her bed back to a laying position and laying down, pulling the covers up to her nose.

"You're welcome...Hinata," he responded just as softly, the girl looking happy and her eyes looking drowsy. Several long moments passed before her eyes slid shut and her breathing began to soften and even out. He noticed her left hand peeking from under the covers, her golden ring shining in the light. _'Only three months_...,' Shino thought to himself, his eyes trained on her ring. _'It didn't quite seem real at first...it was only talk...and now...now_...' He looked at his own ring, fingering it with his right hand. _'It's truly real_.' (Though he wasn't going to think in-depth about it...it was just too much for him to take in right then.) He looked back at Hinata's peaceful slumbering face. _'We will be married...but this won't change things between us more than bringing us closer. I'll make sure of it. I will protect you, Hinata, as you have protected me_.' "Thank you, Hinata." He gently laid his hand over hers with a hidden smile that softened when she smiled in her sleep. He gently squeezed her hand before slowly removing it and brushing a strand of long hair from her face as he stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow." He pulled the covers up over her exposed hand and slowly strode out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

And now...he just had to navigate out of the hospital and Compound so he could go home..._fun_.

**-End of Chapter 4 Part 2-**

- So...yeah. There it is, the second half of Chapter 4. The meeting is complete with shock, disbelief, and misunderstandings. What in the world will I come up with next?! 0.o I don't think _I _even know...

- I don't have a preview this time, either, but I _will _tell you this- be on the lookout for a flashback in the next chapter. That's one thing I _have _decided on. It'll be a scene from Hiashi and Shibi's past, where Hiashi helped Shibi... (All because I came up with this elaborate background story and I want to tell it now...)

- By the way...I got some money for Christmas and I bought the movie 'Naruto Shippuden: The Will of Fire'. That is the first time in a _long _time I've seen Shino, Hinata, Kiba, and Akamaru in the Shippuden series (I have the first box set/season thing with only 13 episodes, and they don't make an appearance at _all_)...and I was wondering...does Shino have this issue with saying 'Why, you ask?', then explaining it, even if no one asked? What the heck? I watched the original when it first came out from japan (I watched it on Hulu in Japanese with English subs- and I didn't watch _too _much of it...only to a few episodes after Jiraiya dies, I think...) and he wasn't like that... What happened? Is it a running poke at the fact that Shino was ignored and this is his new way of _not _being ignored? (I've seen _several _pokes at him throughout the series.) I dunno...I just thought it was a little weird...it may have just been the movie... (shrugs)

- Thank you for reading!

- Please review!


	6. Blast From Past & Piercing Punishment

**Arranged Marriage**

**Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream**

**Pairing: Shino x Hinata (From Naruto)**

**A Quick Note**:

- Sorry that this is out late guys, it's bad time management on my part. I'm studying up on my course I took at an online college a while back, and I'm hoping to have reviewed the whole thing (three months worth of classes) in a month's time so I can (hopefully) get a job. Plus...I kind of got engrossed in another Shino x Hinata fanfic that I had started and I might have it out by my next posting. (Details at the bottom for all those who are interested.) I don't think getting a job will get in the way of my writing and posting, but if I _do _have a delay, I apologize in advance. I'm doing what I can with the time I have when my daughter's not throwing a two-year-old tantrum. Xp

- I apologize (again) for breaking _this _chapter into two parts...I just put too much into the chapter and I didn't want to edit out anything. ;,;

- **Warning**! There is: Language, Blood/Broken Bones, Name-Calling, Severe Clan Discrimination, Torture, Implied Torture, Blackmail, Shibi's Teasing, Nudity, A Mature Situation (NOT sex), Implied Rape, Implied Sexual Harrassment, Sexual Harrassment, Justified Revenge

- Things you need to know for this chapter:

- I _do _have a place in there that talks about Hiashi going in to see Hanabi again and the girl threatening Hinata and Neji's lives...but I didn't actually write it in. I didn't think it was relevant with Hanabi's anger and hatred towards the two. It seemed obvious that she would say that to her father...so I skipped out on writing the scene and just put a couple of places that talks about it. I thought it would be good to point that out so that no one gets confused. :)

- I don't know if everyone knows about berserkers, but I'll clue you in to them because I've got a berserker in the story. A berserker is someone who goes pretty much mindless at a keyword of some kind spoken by themselves or another person (sometimes it can be an image or special sound or light- see Pumpkin Scissors (**DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN IT**), the berserker there loses it when he looks into a special lantern light) and they constantly attack whoever is in their sights. Friend, foe, it doesn't matter. They can no longer think for themselves, and they only understand that they are in a rage and need to attack whoever they set their sights on. Of course, because there is a keyword to set them off (or key image, light, or sound), there is also a key that breaks the trance-like state that they enter.

**A Special Thanks to**: Starcalista, KayseeRp, Clumsy0132, paranoidbychoice, dragonick711, Seraphina Dragon, MaMaMiYa, and Luana LS for reviewing! Thanks guys!

- **Starcalista **- Heya. Awesome! I'm glad you like my story! :D I try my best...though I don't remember how Shibi was, so I decided to...get creative. Haha XD I did update, and I'm sorry for not replying on the last chapter, I only had a few minutes to get it up and posted and I was using crappy free internet that kept kicking me off... I'll do my best to get this one up and out ASAP! :P

- **KayseeRp **- lol. XD

- **Clumsy0132 **- Thank you very much! The fathers interaction with one another was really fun to do. :P (And so were the reactions XD)

Thank ya. Wow...I can see how that scared you...one _that _little getting it...then again repeatedly over the years...and you were just a kid, yourself. That woulda scared me, too.

- **paranoidbychoice **- lol. Yup. Only time will tell! XD Thank ya much! I hope to!

- **dragonick711 **- Thank you very much! I worked hard on it! I'm glad you enjoyed that part, I'm hoping to get more fluffy stuff underway soon. :D (Not without _some _complications, of course.) I'll work on this as much as I can and get it out ASAP!

- **Seraphina Dragon **- I'm working on it, and I'm hoping to see this fanfic to the very end! :D

- **MaMaMiYa **- lol. Thank you very much! I will update ASAP! XD

-**Luana LS **- Hey! :P I'm doing alright, how are you? My start to the new year has been interesting in a good way. I hope yours has been good, too. Yes, she's all better now, thanks for asking! She's hyper as ever, running and jumping around like a baby deer. lol.

I'm glad you liked my last story and my dialog! I spend a lot of time on it most times, trying to do just that. I'm glad I made you laugh :D I hope I do well with this chapter, too, and I hope you like it. XD

A belated happy new year to you, too! Thank you! I hope that you can make all of your dreams come true with great health and happiness, too! :D

**Disclaimer**:

Do I own Naruto, you ask? No, I do not.

Why, you ask? I am not Masashi Kishimoto.

**Arranged Marriage**

**Chapter 5 Part 1 - A Blast to the Past and Piercing Punishment**

"Hm...," the tall, large man known as Ibiki sighed as he neared the exit of the Hokage tower, his leaf headband tied tightly, the top covering his bare and scarred head. His black ankle length coat swayed with every movement as he walked. It was unzipped, showing his black shirt and pants within. _'Another successful torture_,' he mused silently. _'That one was an easy break, too_...' He nodded politely to the two nervous guard nin at the door, opening it slowly and stepping out, seeing a figure leaning against the side of the building with his peripheral vision. He looked over as he shut the door, surprised to see Hiashi Hyuuga standing there. It wasn't _too _often that he saw him out and about nowadays... "Hiashi?" The man's white eyes gazed at him a moment with troubled emotions flickering within them before he looked away.

"I was waiting for you, Ibiki...," Hiashi replied softly, his voice weary. "I need your help."

"This must be serious...," Ibiki spoke, turning fully to his old friend from his academy days. He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets habitually. "What's up?"

"It's about my daughter...Hanabi," Hiashi started, looking back over at Ibiki. "We've discussed this before, I believe..." Ibiki nodded once. "It's time." The torture expert's eyes widened at the solemn, serious look on Hiashi's face.

"Nothing else can be done?," Ibiki asked softly, receiving a shake of the head from the man. "I see... Do you need me to come by _now_, then?"

"Please," Hiashi inclined his head. "I will fill you in on the way." With an incline of the head from Ibiki, they were on their way to the Hyuuga Compound.

A tired young Aburame sighed as he reached the door of his home, the man fumbling for his house key. The door suddenly swung open, the action startling him some as shades met shades.

"What took you?," Shibi asked, a worried crease to his brow. "I left you at the Hyuuga Compound almost two hours ago..."

"I stayed with Hinata a little over half an hour so that she would go to sleep," Shino replied simply, leaving his forgotten key in his pocket and removing his hand from his pant pocket.

"And the rest of the time?," Shibi asked expectantly, noticing his son shuffle his feet and look away.

"I got lost," came the soft reply from the younger Aburame, the man obviously embarrassed of that fact. "Neji found me and escorted me out." Shibi couldn't help the amused smile that crept over his face from within the safety of his jacket.

"I've gotten turned around in there, myself, so don't feel _too _bad about it," Shibi waved off, comforting Shino in a way. "It took me _years _to figure that place out." He stepped aside so that Shino could enter the house, the man doing just that with a greatful nod. He felt a _little _better about it, anyway... Sliding his shoes off, Shino looked back at his dad as Shibi shut the door.

"About that...you never told me that you were once teammates with Hiashi," Shino spoke up, undisguised curiosity in his voice.

"I haven't?," Shibi asked somewhat thoughtfully.

"Not that I can recall," Shino replied, Shibi nodding and seeming to ponder it a moment. Shino decided to test his boundaries and see how much he could get out of Shibi. "Do you two _always _get into fights like the one you had today?" Shibi seemed to come out of his thoughts, his brow risen in surprise.

"Oh...well...occasionally," Shibi shrugged when the surprise died down. "You fight with _your _friends occasionally, right?"

"I suppose so," Shino nodded. "What was that fight _about_, anyway?" Shino could almost see the smirk cross Shibi's face.

"_My _you're curious today," Shibi turned the topic, mildly surprising Shino. "How did Hinata like your hair?" Shino stiffened at that, a blush painting his cheeks.

"She liked it just fine, thank you," Shino replied stiffly. "Why are you evading my question?" Shibi let out a small chuckle before he sighed, the reaction surprising and slightly confusing Shino. He'd never done _that _before...

"I could tell you...but I don't think you'll like it," Shibi explained vaguely, making Shino a little wary of the story, but more curious, as well.

"I still want to know," Shino insisted.

"You'll withstand perversity to listen to it and you won't run away?," Shibi asked cautiously. Shino hesitated and thought on it a moment.

"That depends on how far it goes," Shino shot back, earning a short chuckle from the man.

"Not _all _the way...close...but not close at the same time...," Shibi spoke, debating on his words a moment. "Not out of the boundaries of things that normal couples do." Shino took a moment to take that in and all it could possibly mean (as well as debating on if he was curious enough to stand his embarrassment of the topic) before he nodded. His curiosity won out over his embarrassment.

"I'll listen," Shino agreed, surprising his father. _'How bad could it be_?,' Shino thought silently. '_It couldn't be any worse than what he __**usually **__goes on about_...'

"Great," Shibi chirped cheerfully. "Then you can help me make supper while we talk."

"So early?," Shino asked with a raised brow.

"We have to start early so that we can eat by five," Shibi explained as he led the way into the kitchen, Shino taking a look at the clock when they entered the room. It was three twenty.

"Hm," Shino agreed, taking his overcoat off and hanging it on the back of his chair before joining Shibi by the freezer.

"Alright...," Shibi started with a sigh as he pilfered through the freezer part of their refrigerator. "I guess I should start at the beginning... The start of my story is back when we were fifteen. We were old enough to be out of our three man squads, but not old enough to be arranged to marry anyone yet."

"Meaning you weren't with mom yet," Shino input, getting a nod from the man.

"Right," he replied, pulling some frozen steaks from the freezer. "Wash your hands."

"Hm? Oh...," Shino shook his head as he went to wash his hands. He had already washed up some at the hospital, but he felt it necessary to go ahead and wash up again. He _always _washed his hands before preparing food...he had just been a little too focused on listening to Shibi... The older Aburame patiently waited for Shino to wash his hands and dry them before coming back over to him.

"We were both Jounin in rank and I had just come back from my first solo A-rank mission when I met Hiashi at our old training grounds...," Shibi reminisced.

**- Flashback -**

"Hey Hiashi!," the young Shibi Aburame hailed, the young man in a tattered black jacket that was zipped all the way up, torn black pants, and his shirt was hidden, but in about the same condition as the rest of his clothing. His black boots were even scuffed up badly from his previous fights. A young man of around the same age turned back to him, his white eyes glowing in the shade of the training grounds. The young Hiashi was dressed in a white haori with black lining, white pants, a black tie around his waist, and standard black ninja shoes. His hair was a lighter shade of brown and tied back, the ends of it mid-back in length.

"Shibi," Hiashi inclined his head in acknowledgement as Shibi stopped a little ways from him. "How did your mission go?"

"Fairly well, all things considered," Shibi replied with a bob of his head. "I got out alive and I succeeded." Shibi was smirking beneath the high top of his black jacket and, although it was completely covered, he was sure his old teammate knew he was smirking proudly within.

"I expected as much from you...and you seem to be proud of your success," Hiashi nodded in reply, his brow rising in slight amusement. Though his stoic facade was up, Shibi could tell he was amused. Being able to read him came with the years that they had spent training together and his careful attention to details because of his own stoic family. "I suppose now you would like to go out and celebrate..."

"I _would_...but I've already got another date lined up. Sorry, Hiashi," Shibi responded somewhat apologetically as he grinned from within his jacket. Shibi could see his surprise as he blinked at Shibi and just stared at him a long moment. _'That means 'explain',' _Shibi thought to himself amusedly. "I'm going to score tonight." For a moment, Hiashi's expression changed into something unreadable...Shibi was unsure _what _to make of it...and then...

"Come again?," Hiashi asked confusedly, making Shibi sigh. '_He needs to get out more and keep up with the lingo so I don't have to explain things...,' _Shibi thought silently.

"I'm going to get laid tonight," Shibi spelled out for him, Hiashi looking disgruntled.

"Have you forgotten the rules of our clans?," Hiashi asked, a stern and scolding tone to his voice. "We are to remain virgin until we are arranged to marry another of our clan...and, even then, we cannot commit the act until the wedding night."

"You make it sound like murder or something," Shibi pointed out, a sweat drop on his brow. Hiashi only frowned at him. "Look, it's not like it's a big deal or anything- it's not like they can find out about it. They can't check me and know...so they won't find out...unless _you _tell them about it." Hiashi's frown deepened. _'Dull old stick in the mud_,' Shibi thought unhappily. '_He's __**always **__keeping me from breaking the rules...and he doesn't have to- my father does it enough for __**everyone**__.' _"Oh come on, Hiashi, at least let me get away with this _one _thing. I won't get caught and I won't ask you to bail me out." After a moment of silent contemplation, numerous emotions crossing Hiashi's eyes, he finally spoke up again.

"Do what you want, Shibi, but I'm keeping you to your word," Hiashi replied in his regal no-nonsense voice. "_Don't _come to me if you get caught, because I won't help you. I want _no _part of your idiocy."

"Deal," Shibi inclined his head as Hiashi shook his own at him. It was awkwardly silent a long moment.

"Can I ask but one thing?," Hiashi started somewhat hesitantly. Shibi held his hand up for him to continue. "Who are you laying with?" Shibi smirked wryly.

"Want to get in on the action, do you?," Shibi asked teasingly, the Hyuuga's cheeks flushing a little at the jab.

"No way in hell," he replied in a hard deadpanned tone, making Shibi chuckle at him. "I want to know only for the purposes of your safety. There are kunoichi that would rather you dead..."

"Yes...I know...," Shibi spoke in a softer tone, more serious. There were some kunoichi and ninja alike that were raised hating the Aburame...and he did his best to avoid them. "It's not one of _them_... Though...this girl _is _known for her promiscuity..." Hiashi raised a brow expectantly. "It's Amaya." He watched the Hyuuga's eyes widen.

"Cancel your date," he ordered immediately.

"W-What?," Shibi asked, mildly shocked at his demand.

"Cancel...your date," Hiashi spoke slower, almost mockingly.

"Why should I?," Shibi asked defensively.

"I know things about her, Shibi...go with another girl," Hiashi shook his head at the confused Aburame.

"I don't understand...is she one of the ones that wants to kill Aburame or Hyuuga?," Shibi asked directly.

"Well...no...but...she isn't good for you," Hiashi replied vaguely.

"If you don't have a good reason, then just say so," Shibi snorted in reply, starting to get angry. "Don't give me your weak-ass excuses!"

"I will say it but once more, Shibi," Hiashi responded, something in his eyes catching Shibi's attention. It was genuine concern. "_Don't go to her_. Get with another...there are plenty more willing and able to lay with an _Aburame_." Hiashi emphasized the last word a little too coolly, hitting Shibi in a place that _really _hurt. _'He doesn't think I'm able to be with Amaya because of my Kikkaichu and scarred body_!,' Shibi hissed within the confines of his mind. He was _very _self-conscious of both his body and his inadvertent ability to drive women away with his bugs and that bastard knew it! _'I'll show __**him**__! Amaya doesn't mind- we already discussed all of that_!' Plan set and Hiashi's wish ignored, Shibi pulled up his own stoic facade.

"You're just jealous," Shibi shot back at him, the Hyuuga looking exasperated. "I'm _not _going to cancel my date." He paused, anger writhing within him. "And I may be an Aburame, but at least I've got a good personality _and _I've got _someone _who will take me in. Girls avoid _you _because of your sour, cold attitude and your freakish white eyes...because you're a _Hyuuga_!" Hiashi looked taken aback a moment, his eyes wide before they narrowed in his own anger and his jaw set. A wide frown spread across his face and made his lips thin in his barely concealed anger. _'Go ahead, get pissed_!,' Shibi growled in his mind. _'I don't care! That was a low blow- don't dish it out if you can't take it_.'

"If you won't listen to reason, then this is a pointless argument," Hiashi replied stiffly. "Go ahead and go do what you want to do, Shibi. But...don't tell me I didn't warn you. You will regret it..." Shibi scoffed as his old teammate looked away from him. "And I won't be there to help you when you come crying back to me, saying I was right."

"Fine," Shibi retorted indignantly. "I don't need your help. Not now, not _ever_. _You'll _be the one proven wrong when everything goes as it should. Stupid Hyuuga."

"Moronic Aburame," Hiashi shot back at him before he turned his back to Shibi and went back to training, throwing kunai at multiple moving targets. Grumbling angrily, Shibi travelled into town and reported to the Hokage...

**- Current Time -**

"You look...well...shocked," Shibi pointed out, the two finishing peeling some potatoes and cutting them into much smaller pieces.

"Well...I am," Shino replied, his brow furrowed. His cheeks were heated a little because of the subject of the argument and he was shocked that they argued like normal teammates (it almost reminded him of the way Sasuke and Naruto used to argue)...but there was something else that bothered him. "Hiashi obviously had a good reason why he was trying to prevent you from being with that Amaya girl...but he never said, did he?"

"Nope," Shibi confirmed. "He was trying to protect me." Shino's eyes widened in surprise. "And, of course, he was right and I _did _regret it later, but that's jumping ahead... You need to know what happened between Amaya and myself to understand what happened after that." Shino nodded, then hesitated.

"You didn't...you know...," Shino started to ask hesitantly, Shibi smirking at him.

"No," he shook his head, relieving his son. "Close, but no. Let me get on with the story." Shino nodded, a silent confirmation for him to keep going as they started to thinly slice bell peppers and mince onions at the table. "After that, I reported in and got my pay. I went directly home to freshen up and then I was off to Amaya's house..."

**- Flashback -**

The jacket-covered hand of Shibi Aburame rapped on apartment number fifty three on the fourth floor of one of the many ninja-owned apartment complexes. Slowly, the door opened and a slender but voluptuous girl stepped into his line of sight. Shibi's mouth went dry at the sight before him, the man licking his lips to wet them and make them mobile again. Chestnut eyes hidden by dark shades darkened in lust as his eyes travelled over every inch of her body.

Before him stood a girl about half a head shorter than himself with striking violet eyes and waist-length dark purple hair. She was thin, but she had a large bust, hips, and rear, making her popular with the men of the village. What _really _caught his attention was what she was wearing- a form-fitting purple top that had small straps and a heart-shape top that only enhanced her bust, and she had on a tight black skirt that barely reached mid-thigh and left little to nothing to the imagination...and he could tell that she wasn't wearing underwear... He suddenly felt like he was wearing too much clothing in his black top with netting around the neck, baggy black pants that were getting tighter by the second, and his large black jacket that he wore everywhere.

"Oh...Shibi," Amaya spoke, batting her long black eyelashes at the man flirtatiously. "Please, come in."

"Don't mind if I do," he replied a tad huskily, entering and slipping his shoes off as she moved aside, shutting the door after he entered.

"So...," Amaya started as he turned back to her excitedly. "This is your first time?"

"Ah...yes," Shibi admitted with embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed," she giggled, drawing nearer to him. "I'll be gentle." He grunted in shock and pleasure as her hand found his rising member, rubbing it gently but in a way that only made him harder.

"A-A-Ahh...," Shibi gasped softly as her lips drew nearer, leaving only centimeters between them. He resisted the urge to pull her forwards and smash his lips into hers.

"It's my first time with an Aburame...is there anything I should know?," she asked almost innocently, drawing circles on his chest with her remaining hand while her other kept rubbing against him, making it painfully hard to stand still. His hands found her waist and he gently pulled her closer. Shibi was finding it hard to think and speak, as well...

"I-I only brought a few K-Kikkaichu with me, b-but they have promised n-not to leave my body," he reassured her. "At m-most, they will c-create a small v-vibration within me..."

"Ooohhh...," she moaned, her violet eyes lidded with lust. "Kinky..." Shibi's cheeks heated a little more at her words, his cheeks already a rosy red. She giggled as she finally brought her lips to his and initiated a slow kiss, moving her lips against his as her hand slowed to a stop against him. His hands moved to the small of her back as he responded quickly and eagerly, Amaya slowly speeding the kiss up until she finally prodded her tongue against his lips. Shibi groaned as he opened his lips and gave her immediate access, her tongue exploring his mouth before mingling with his tongue. She moaned softly as they fought a moment, the new sensations only heightening his arousal and sending more warmth to pool in his groin. Amaya slowly gave in, giving Shibi's dominating tongue access to her own cavern, Shibi not wasting any time in taking advantage of this and exploring. He idly felt her arms wind around his neck and his own hands set to exploring her soft body. It was...softer than he had ever imagined, muscle and curve in the right places. His hands found her rear and she moaned softly, surprising him when she gently pulled away from him. "Let's go back to the bedroom now..." She was panting, her cheeks a cherry red, and her lips were slightly swollen. The sight of her stirred his male pride.

"Which way?," he asked with a grunt, pulling her up by her rear and making her squeak and giggle as her legs wrapped around him, her arms tightening their grip around his neck.

"It's at the end of the hall," she motioned her head to a hallway straight back from the entrance of her apartment. He nodded once in acknowledgement, starting the trek back. She didn't make the trip any easier when her soft, experienced lips trailed butterfly kisses down his throat. Shibi struggled to stay standing when her tongue met his skin, the man barely stumbling back to her bedroom door, fumbling with the knob a moment before he got it open. He peered inside, the room a standard room with very few personal things lying about. He didn't pay much attention to them as he found the bed off to the far right side, hurrying to it and sitting on it, giving his quaking legs a rest. She sat fully in his lap and his hands found her hips. Shibi sighed in contentment as she pulled away, looking down at him with a seductive smile. "Let's see what you Aburame hide beneath your protective clothes and shades..." Her fingers found his shades first, quickly but gently removing them. She just stared into his eyes a moment, making him a little uncomfortable. "Your eyes are beautiful..."

"T-Thank you," Shibi managed to reply, his voice soft and holding a hint of embarrassment. Her smile only broadened.

"You're very welcome," Amaya replied politely, tossing his shades onto her nightstand beside her bed. "Now the Aburame jacket..." Small fingers found his zipper and slowly unzipped it, her eyes following the little black zipper, making him a little more uncomfortable and nervous. _'Maybe this __**wasn't **__the best idea_...,' Shibi thought silently as she unzipped his coat painfully slowly. '_I know Amaya doesn't mean anything bad by it...but her referral to my clan __**every **__time she starts doing things and undressing me...it turns me off_...' She fully unzipped his jacket and stripped it from him before he could blink. His shirt was sleeveless and some of his scarring showed on his strong shoulders and muscular arms. He could see a hint of disgust in her eyes. _'Maybe it's not too late to stop this and go home_...'

"A-Amaya...," Shibi started, the girl looking back up at his eyes.

"What's wrong?," she asked immediately and he cursed his expressive eyes for not the first time in his life. He took in a deep breath and prepared himself for any possible reaction she might have.

"I'm thinking of backing out," he replied, straight and forward with her. She sat back on his lap with widened eyes. Obviously no one had ever decided to opt out before...

"But...why...?," She asked softly. "Did I do something or say something you didn't like..?" He shifted a little in discomfort before he decided that truth was the best way to go.

"Besides your constant referral to my clan instead of me, as a person, your eyes say enough," he replied, short, sweet, and to the point. She seemed taken aback and almost apologetic and sheepish.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to offend you," Amaya spoke softly, her hands gently caressing his arms. "And I didn't mean to stare at your scars..." He looked away, unable to hold her gaze. _'Yes...this was __**definately **__a bad idea_...,' he thought remorsefully. '_I should have waited...just like Hiashi told me to...dammit...he's __**always **__right...'_ A cool touch of Amaya's hand on his cheek brought him out of his thoughts and back to reality. "I was only surprised at them all...please...give me another chance..." He thought on it, not completely convinced. "There are..._other _things I can stare at..." Her core ground into his groin and he couldn't stop the grunt that escaped his lips, his cheeks heating up again. She smiled, nibbling on her bottom lip in a way that turned him on, the girl grinding herself into him again. "Pleeeaaaase?" Amaya leaned in closer, her lips nearly touching his. "Shibi?" He gasped as she ground herself into him again, his hands tightening around her waist again. _'Then again_..._maybe it won't be __**so **__bad... After all, what's the worst that can happen?'_

"Mmmnnnnhhhhh...alright," Shibi slowly nodded after contemplating it. "You've convinced me." He bucked up to her, making her gasp and moan softly with an excited smile. Lust flared back to life within him and he chuckled as he caught her lips in his again. The kiss didn't last nearly as long as he had hoped it would, the man startled when Amaya pushed him back on the bed. She kept her lips near to his as she leaned over him, teasing him into trying to kiss him, and then pulling back when he went to lock lips with her again. "Tease." She giggled.

"It's what I'm best known for," Amaya grinned proudly. She ground herself into him again, pulling another groan from him as she leaned away a little more. He tried to get his hands up the bottom of her shirt, but she smacked them away. "Hold on, you naughty boy...I want to undress _you _first then I have a surprise for you..." She nibbled on her bottom lip again, _that _combined with her promise causing his lust to grow and excitement to build within him again.

"Alright...but only if that surprise involves _your _nudity, as well," Shibi agreed with a purr, gaining a seductive smile from the woman.

"Oh...you _know _it will," she teased flirtatiously as her hands slipped beneath his shirt. He gave a small smile in return, Shibi holding his breath as she pulled his shirt up and off (with his help), revealing his muscular and toned torso...that was riddled with scars and openings. She didn't look at his body, he noticed, she just instantly went down, her lips attacking his flesh. He wasn't complaining, though. Her lips travelled all over his shoulders and chest before latching onto his left nipple, Shibi groaning in pleasure and running his hands over her back. After sucking, licking, and nipping it, she gave the other an equal amount of attention before her lips moved lower. Lower, lower, lower...Shibi felt hot tingles running through his abdomen and straight to his groin as her lips and tongue made their way down to the hem of his pants. Heated violet eyes met lust-glazed chestnut eyes before nimble fingers unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Shibi was very aware that he was nearly panting in his excitement as a lusty smile crossed Amaya's face, her fingers brushing over his hyper-sensitive skin. She backed off of him a little and he helped her get his pants off...then his boxers. She just heatedly stared at his throbbing manhood a moment, a flush across her cheeks, lust glazing her eyes over. His male pride stirred again at her reaction to his member. Her eyes finally met his again, her teeth working her bottom lip excitedly. "Well...you're _certainly _well-endowed..." He felt pretty proud right about then. "Just a moment...I'm going to go grab my lubricant and get your surprise...close your eyes, okay? Don't peek!" She giggled giddily and he couldn't help his excited and proud smirk.

"Alright," he agreed somewhat reluctantly. "Promise you'll hurry back, though."

"You know I will," she grinned and pecked his lips before climbing off of him and the bed. "Close your eyes!" He gave a small amused smile as he did as he was asked to, righting himself on the bed as he heard her bare feet scurrying away and into another room attached to her room (presumably the bathroom), the door creaking open. For a moment, there was rustling followed by silence...and he waited...and waited...he actually had to touch himself to keep his erection up...

"Amaya?," he called unsurely, debating on opening his eyes.

"Just a second!," she called back, her feet shuffling a moment, telling him she was still in the other room. _**'Women**_...,' he inwardly sighed. _'They take __**forever **__to get ready for __**anything**_...' After another moment, he heard her feet padding back into the room, the girl giggling softly to herself. "Sorry for the wait, Shibi...just keep your eyes shut a moment more and I _promise _you'll be surprised." Her promise was the _only _thing keeping his eyes shut.

"Alright...," he responded verbally so she knew he would do as she asked. Click. Ticka-ticka-ticka-tink! _'Hm_?,' Shibi thought to himself in surprise. Click. Ticka-ticka-ticka-tink! _'What's that noise_?' Click. Ticka-ticka-ticka-tink! He started to open his eyes...and...

"_Now_," Amaya spoke, Shibi shocked when strong arms held his own down. His chestnut eyes snapped open and widened when he saw two fully clothed ninja he was familiar with snickering as they held him down.

"What the hell is _this_?," Shibi hissed, his angry eyes turning on the also fully clothed Amaya, a disposable camera in her hand and a triumphant smirk on her face. _**'That **__explains the noise_,' he snarled silently, furiously. If only he'd had his Kikkaichu out! He would have known they were coming! They were so silent...and _he _was _so _pissed...

"Aww...don't be upset, Shibi," she spoke mock apologetically. "I just...don't do guys from clans..._or _guys with imperfect bodies." Shibi grunted as he struggled against the two, inwardly cursing up a storm for not bringing enough Kikkaichu to make a bug clone. "But your body will be a good laugh when my friend develops my film." She took another picture, Shibi feeling his cheeks burning up hot. _'Dammit_!,' he inwardly cursed. _'I'm at their mercy_...' He grunted as he struggled again, the two holding him down firmly. '_If they were using chakra, I'd have the advantage...but, as it stands, it wouldn't matter if my Kikkaichu drained their chakra...they're using their brute strength to hold me down.._.' His Kikkaichu were about as livid as he was, buzzing noisily in his ears and making his body vibrate some with the intensity of the buzzing. Amaya took a few more pictures from different angles. "If one of you can undress, I can get some _really _scandalous shots that will ruin him in the village...but don't worry, I won't show your face." Shibi felt his cheeks burning hotter as he struggled his absolute hardest against the two large ninja that held him, both chuckling at his attempts and Amaya's idea.

"Right," the large ninja Shibi knew as Ichizo smirked.

"_I'll _do it," the other one, Sato, volunteered. "I'm larger and stronger and I can force him down on his knees." He sneered at Shibi, the man feeling helpless as he continued his struggle. "But you've gotta help us hold him down while I undress..."

"Gotcha," Amaya smirked, setting the camera down and helping them hold Shibi down as Sato undressed and _really _turned Shibi's night into a nightmare...

**- Current Time -**

"They made me out to be Sato's bitch and took _plenty _of pictures...," Shibi seethed as his fists clenched more tightly, the man staring at the stove with such intensity that it _truly _frightened the paling Shino. (He had been red because of his father's detailing and perversity- he'd even considered making him stop because of it...but after the turn in the story, he was quickly losing his color.) Of course...Shibi's story _also _shocked and terrified him...

"He didn't...he didn't _actually_...," Shino started and stopped, not knowing if he wanted the answer or not. For a moment, Shibi was silent, his jaw set. Blood seeped from his hands and Shino inched away from him as much as he could in his seat. He could hear the soft buzzing of Kikkaichu that was probably much louder on the inside, a furious swarm buzzing at their angry master, willing to do his bidding...on enemies not even around for them to eliminate...

"He did," Shibi finally confirmed softly, shamefully. "Amaya felt that it wasn't enough to make it _look _like he was screwing me...that he needed to _actually _do it for more realistic pictures..._and _to teach me a lesson." He shook his head, trying to let his anger seep away from him so that his Kikkaichu would calm down. "She wanted to teach me that no one could be trusted...and I bought into her false lesson." '_I wonder if __**this **__is where father's obsession with sex with women stems from_...,' Shino wondered silently as he nodded once shortly in understanding. '_To forget the pain and what Amaya and Sato did to him that night_...' Shibi let out a soft sigh, sitting back fully in his chair as he turned his hands over and looked at them. "I guess Hiashi had heard something about things that Amaya had done before and he wanted to warn me about it...but he was _almost _as adverse to the topic of sex as _you _are, Shino..." Shino looked at his father in surprise with a raised brow as his father gave a somewhat amused look back at him. "He couldn't tell me about it, but he _tried _to...and I _should've _listened to him." Shibi shook his head as Shino lowered his gaze a bit, his shaded chestnut eyes resting on his father's hands. They looked to have stopped bleeding, but he had ten perfect little outlines of his fingernails on his palms.

"Let me get the medical kit and clean and wrap your hands," Shino suggested, lightening things up a bit. Shibi nodded approvingly and Shino went and retrieved the spare medical kit from a bottom cabinet in the kitchen. He was quick to clean Shibi's wounds, the man glad that their supper was already in the oven... "What happened next?" Shino's interest in the story brought Shibi back from his revelations.

"Well...after all was said and done, I was beaten by the ninja and I had to _really _scramble around to get my clothes and all back on," Shibi admitted softly. "I never meant to go _this _far into detail, and I apologize for it, but I'll just pick up from the next day."

"It's fine," Shino waved off gently, somewhat glad that his father had gone into more detail about the traumatic event...it gave him a whole new level of respect for his father...

"The next day...oh, right," Shibi spoke his thoughts aloud, seeming to be thinking hard about what had happened. "My pride and masculinity took a large hit, but I functioned as normally as I could...it just _really _bites that I just _had _to run into Hiashi that day..."

**- Flashback -**

"Watch where you're going, _Aburame_," Hiashi ground out as Shibi accidentally bumped into him on the street, groceries in hand. '_Oh great...this is __**just **__what I need after...yesterday_,' Shibi inwardly seethed. He had been so busy trying to avoid Amaya, Ichizo, and Sato that he didn't see Hiashi nearby...

"Sorry, _Hyuuga_, didn't see you standing there," Shibi retorted tauntingly. He sure as hell wasn't going to let on to what happened the night before...that the smug bastard, Hiashi, had been right... For a moment, the Hyuuga just looked at him, the glare starting to ease up a bit.

"What happened to your face?," Hiashi asked, evading the fight that he'd started as Shibi felt color rising to his cheeks. He was pretty badly bruised and beaten up from the night before... He knew that there was a medium-sized bruise on his left cheek, a large one on his forehead, and his hidden right eye was black and blue, barely able to function.

"None of your damn business, _that's _what," Shibi snapped back at him irritably, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I don't go around asking about _your _face, do I?" Hiashi's face soured at him and the glare returned, relieving Shibi some. He didn't want Hiashi to know about it...that he was right. Shibi also felt like he couldn't talk to him because of the previous argument...

"I suppose not...," Hiashi clucked his tongue, obviously displeased at Shibi. "But _my _face isn't messed up like _yours _is. What happened? Were you not able to satisfy her?" Shibi felt his face growing hotter in both embarrassment and anger. "You weren't as good as you thought you were, were you?" A smirk curved at Hiashi's lips as Shibi got angrier. "Serves you right." Shibi grit his teeth together at Hiashi's gloating, the man having leaned in a little closer.

"Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. My. Face," Shibi growled back at him, his eyes narrowed dangerously, his eyebrows furrowed deeply the only outward show of it.

"Oh... Did I hit a nerve?," Hiashi asked mock innocently, leaning in just a little closer. Shibi felt his anger hit a peak and his nerves finally snapped. His free hand tightened so tightly into a fist that his fingernails bit into his palm and fresh warm blood trickled down and out of his hand.

"Stupid bastard!," Shibi snarled, rearing back and head butting the shocked Hyuuga. His head ached from the previous beating and the bruise made it feel worse when his forehead connected with Hiashi's, but he was satisfied with Hiashi's shocked reaction, the man stumbling backwards.

"Ah!," Hiashi cried out, the nearby people a little nervous with the sudden fight. "What the hell is _wrong _with you, Shibi?!" Shibi was panting softly, his anger barely concealed. He was about to reply when something caught his attention from the corner of his eye- someone skid to a stop a little ways away. When he looked back, he saw Sato grinning maniacally from ear to ear.

"Shit!," Shibi cursed out loud, ignoring the crowd and the thoroughly shocked Hiashi. Gripping his groceries, Shibi took off in the opposite direction that Sato was standing, towards his own home. Only one brief glance back told him that Sato was following him. He kept his eyes on the road ahead and his Kikkaichu were his eyes from behind, guiding him as he slipped into the alleyways of Konoha. If he could just get home, he could gather the rest of his Kikkaichu and that jerk wouldn't stand a chance... He stopped and whipped back around, his Kikkaichu confused when Sato suddenly vanished. "A shadow clone..." That was bad..._really _bad...he could be _anywhere_... He started to walk backwards, but stopped when he bumped into something hard that wasn't the brick wall. It was warm and hot air blew on the back of his neck. His Kikkaichu alerted him to what he already knew...and, for the second time, he cursed himself up and down for not bringing enough Kikkaichu to form a bug clone. His shadow clones were desperately lacking in quality and he hadn't formed one in years...and he regretted not training more with it now.

"Well, well...what have we _here_?," Sato chuckled as Shibi slowly turned around. "A scared little bug scurrying away so he doesn't get stepped on?"

"I'm only trying to get home," Shibi replied stoically. "Please just leave me alone..."

"No can do, _buddy_," Sato grinned, backing Shibi into a nearby wall, his hands slamming down on either side of Shibi, making him flinch. "There are a couple of girls that want to see the little _Aburame fag_..._I'm _just the messenger." Shibi felt his body shaking in both fear and anger, his Kikkaichu riled once again as Sato's right hand moved out of the way, indicating he should go that way. He stayed perfectly still besides the shaking. "What are you waiting for, _fag_? Let's go."

"_Sure_," Shibi replied softly, deciding on a course of action. His hand stung a bit more as he let his fingernails dig into his palm again. Turning, he blindsided the shocked Sato, whipping his arm around so that Shibi's bloodied hand came into contact with Sato's eyes.

"Mother-," Sato yelped, pulling back as he rubbed at his obviously stinging eyes.

"_You're _the one that raped me, so that makes _you_ gay, too," Shibi bit out angrily as he took off at top speed. His Kikkaichu clung to his neck, watching behind him as the pissed and injured Sato stumbled down the path he took, _way _behind him. Shibi did his best navigating through the streets of Konoha before he made it to the edge of town, making one last sprint for his home. What he wasn't expecting...was for a hand to come down from above him (when he ran by a store with a low roof to cover their front stoop and sidewalk area) and yank him back by the hair, almost ripping it out as he cried out in pain. His head hurt and the muscles in his neck and shoulders hurt from the sudden unexpected attack.

"Smart move, Aburame...smart move," Sato's voice breathed in his ear, making him tremble in fear. "But not smart enough." His other strong arm snaked around Shibi's waist and he picked the thoroughly terrified Aburame up and used a transportation jutsu, the two appearing in the dining room of a house, Amaya sitting there at the oak wood table with two girls from town that he'd seen here and there. (He didn't know them.) "Here's your present, girls...enjoy." He slammed his fist into Shibi's back, knocking the breath out of him and sending him to his knees, the grocery bag finally slipping from his hands and the contents spilling as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Oh...he's kind of cute," one of the girls giggled.

"I can't believe he has all of those scars...this picture is really shocking...," the other commented, Shibi feeling his blood freeze in his veins. He slowly looked up, seeing Amaya only an arm's length away, the girl smirking.

"Yeah, I know," she replied, smoothly removing his shades from his face. "Ohhh...don't look at me like _that_. It's your _own _fault you were tricked, you know. Horny bastard." She snickered as she leaned back, the man rubbing his chest to try and help his lungs work right again. His eyes trained on the ground as he attempted to make an escape plan.

"Can we see? His body, I mean," the first girl spoke again, making him hesitate as he looked back up at her.

"Of course," Sato smirked, yanking Shibi back up by his jacket. '_I should have put on my ninja gear_!,' Shibi yelled in his mind, making a mental note to never go out without it again. Sato held him up by his neck, Shibi having to stand on his tip-toes to keep from choking as Amaya stepped forwards and forcibly yanked his jacket off. Her cool hands slid up his shirt and over his toned (and severely bruised and sore) body, making him shiver in revulsion. His hands were busy at Sato's hands, trying to keep himself from suffocating.

"Eww...look at all the scars," the second girl crinkled her nose, Shibi trying not to take the blow too hard.

"They're real, too...," the other one pointed out, her small hand travelling over his torso and gently rubbing at one. She was shocked when she rubbed a little more and the scar (opening) slid open, his internal muscles visible, the girl gasping and pulling her hand away like she had touched fire.

"Oh...what _is _that?," the second one asked, a hand at her lips and disgust on her face and in her eyes.

"I don't know...but it's gross...," Amaya commented with a frown. "What _is _that, Shibi?" Sato put him down on his feet again, though his hand was still tight around his throat, threatening to tighten on it again.

"Answer her," Sato grunted, Shibi taking in a deep breath.

"It's an opening where my Kikkaichu come out," he explained briefly, summoning some of his Kikkaichu to the surface. They wove in and out of his skin, making the girls back away with shock and revulsion.

"That's _nasty_!," the first one squeaked.

"I think I'm going to be sick...," the second gasped, holding her mouth in one hand and her stomach in the other, her face losing its color.

"That is _so _far beyond disgusting, I can't put it into words...," Amaya sneered, Shibi setting his jaw and attempting to keep his stoic facade up. The mental hurt was beyond anything he had ever taken before, and he was trying to keep it all in and bottled up. "Put them back inside you! Right now!"

"That sounded dirty," the first one giggled.

"Well he _is _an uke," Shibi could hear the laugh in Sato's voice as he concentrated hard on getting them back into his body...but most weren't going back in.

"Put them in! _Kami_! Have some decency around women, won't you?!," Amaya spoke irritatedly after a few minutes.

"They won't return to me," Shibi bit out with a hint of anger to his voice.

"And just why not?," Amaya asked, getting in his face with attitude.

"They are upset with me at the moment...," he replied bitterly. "They are living beings...I can't _always _fully control them."

"Hmmm," Amaya hummed as she pulled away from him unhappily. For a moment, things were silent and tense as she just stared at him blankly. "Well...it's pissing me off, either way. Let's beat him to teach him a lesson and drop him off in an alleyway."

"Nice," Sato laughed, releasing the shocked Shibi as Amaya took the first hit, her fist coming into contact with his ribcage. He doubled over, feeling one crack as he groaned in pain, trying to catch his breath. She knocked him in the side, the man falling to the ground and assuming the fetal position, guarding his head with his arms as they started to kick him from all around.

"Why do you hate me so much?!," Shibi managed to yell, every breath hurting as he curled into himself.

"It's not just _you _we hate," the first girl explained, kicking him hard in the shin.

"We hate _all _Aburame and all _clan _members...," the second jumped in, kicking his foot and ankle.

"From Hyuuga to Aburame, Inuzuka, and Uchiha...you are _all _scum in _our _eyes," Amaya finished off, delivering a particularly hard kick to his back. "But...we probably _do _hate the Aburame the most...with your disgusting bugs and horrendous bodies...you're just downright repulsive!" She delivered another particularly hard blow to his tailbone, Shibi snapping.

"I wonder how someone of higher status would react to this!," Shibi bit back, stilling the beating for a moment.

"If you tell on us...we'll show your dad the photos and tell him that you're into guys and you're masochistic," Amaya shot back, the man letting out a shuttered breath. His father would believe it, too... "No clan leader would want his heir to be like that, and everything we have as proof would prove it. You could deny it, but our pictures would overpower _that_, I think..." They all agreed with it and the beating began again. Shibi was stuck in between a rock and a hard place and he was losing consciousness fast... He didn't last long, the pain taking him to a sweet and painless darkness filled with peace and quiet...

**- Current Time -**

"They beat you until you passed out and they dumped you in some random alleyway?!," Shino asked in shock, Shibi looking away from his son.

"That was the original plan, yes," he admitted softly. "Instead, they beat me and wrote things on my body in black paint...things about Aburame being freaks and so on and they dumped me on our front porch. They must have known my father was coming in that day from a mission and he had to take me to the hospital... My father...was a...very harsh, strict, and easily angered man. Naturally, he was upset with me for being weak and he punished me as soon as I got out of the hospital. Harsh, back-breaking training for a week." Shibi shook his head as Shino just kind of stared in shock...Shibi had barely ever mentioned his father before...and Shino never knew him because he died before he was born.

"For something that wasn't even your fault?," Shino asked, thoroughly shaken.

"Yes...," Shibi inclined his head. "He was much like Hiashi was on Hinata when she was younger..." Shino shook his head a little in disbelief. "And that wasn't the last attack." Shino's gaze snapped back up at his father. "There were _many _more after that...those clan-hating fiends were high in number and Amaya and Sato _always _had _some _hand in it... Of course, Sato used the fact that he was stronger than me to overpower me when he could. He never...he never touched me like that again, but it had always scarred me and it debilitated me some around him." Shino nodded once silently, understandingly. "But...I _did _manage to get away a few times...in the beginning. After things _really _started up and I was shown to members of their little anti-clan cult, the beatings regular, I got used to it. With Hiashi angry at me, I had no one to talk to...no one that could help me...so, for a few months, I was totally and utterly alone. I withdrew from society and only spoke when spoken to or when _absolutely _necessary. I found my imagination, and the places it could take me, a much more appealing place to be. It's where I withdrew at home and in town...and when they were beating me. I just pretended I wasn't there and I didn't suffer any more mentally. My sense of time and reality became distorted and I was eventually taken off of missions because of my inability to work properly. I was no longer truly aware of my surroundings." He paused a moment, seeming lost in his thoughts.

"But you said Hiashi helped you...," Shino pointed out. "Did you two resolve the argument or something?" Shino looked at his father as the man looked back up at him and he was certain that he was hiding a fond smile beneath his jacket.

"Yes...well...sort of," he replied contemplatively, surprising Shino a little. "Apparently, he went somewhat undercover or had someone find out the information on what they were doing to me. I never told him before that point and we didn't talk much. I only remember running into him a few times...but my memory is a bit...off. It was hard to tell reality from dream at that time. When we _did _meet, he would ask how I was and I would always respond 'fine'. We would share a few words, then be on our way again. I remember him progressively looking more worried with each run-in, but he never said anything about the clan-haters or how banged up I looked, despite my lack of missions. Then, one dark and stormy night...it happened."

**-Flashback -**

Shibi sat alone in front of the hearth of the Aburame Mansion fireplace. His father wasn't home and he couldn't seem to heat the house up enough to keep warm. He just sat there and rocked steadily back and forth, dipping in and out of his imagination as the storm raged on outside, howling winds cooling the air and making it chillier in the house. The loud sound of water hitting the window panes was like a lullaby, Shibi drifting in and out of consciousness with the sound that he found oddly soothing. It was late...maybe around ten or eleven, when there was a _very _loud rapping on the door. Snapping out of his daze, Shibi was hesitant to answer the door. _'What if it's Amaya...? Or Sato_...?,' he inwardly worried, staring at the thin wooden door that stood between him and his possible nightmare. The knocking sounded again, heavier and louder than the last time. Hesitantly, Shibi removed himself from the warmth that the fire provided and stepped cautiously towards the door. He was silent and stealthy, so if it _was _them, they wouldn't know he was there. Slowly, he peered out of the little peephole, jumping as a knock sounded once again, the door shaking from the violent knock. The figure leaned back and Shibi's eyes widened.

"Hiashi!," he cried, not wasting another moment and throwing open the door. The sight that greeted him was gruesome. Hiashi stood there, almost keeled over, holding a wound on his side. His white attire was matted by the rain and blood that had stained his pristine garb a dark crimson. There was blood _everywhere_...not to mention the wounds on his face- blood coming from his lips, a cut above his eyebrow, from above his hairline, a little from his nose, and his right ear.

"Took you long enough," Hiashi grunted, starting to fall forwards. Shibi was quick to catch him and pull him in as gently as he could. He managed to get him to the couch before going back and shutting the door, then he quickly went back to the man. Shibi was in shock.

"What...what happened to you, Hiashi?," Shibi asked softly, fearfully. "Did you just get back from a mission?"

"Sort of," he grunted, moving into a more comfortable position on his back. "It was a personal mission... By the way, that's more than you've said to me in two months." White eyes filled with pain held a hint of mirth as Shibi let out a small breath. If he was alright enough to poke fun at him a little, he would be alright. He believed that because he couldn't take the thought of the _other _option...

"I'll be right back...I'm going to get the medical kit," Shibi replied simply, running to get the newly stocked one from his room. He was quick to rush back, kneeling beside the injured man on his couch. "What happened..? I want to know the details." Shibi set to work, starting to pull his haori off when Hiashi stopped him. "I need to get this off so I can-!" Shibi stopped mid-sentence, his heart caught in his throat as Hiashi pulled a shocking picture from his haori. It was one of the twenty two pictures that Amaya had made of him (and shoved in his face), and it was one where he was mounted and ridden by Sato. "W...Where did you get that?" Shibi tried to snatch it from him, but he pulled it away just in time.

"I found out your dirty little secret, Shibi...why you haven't been..._yourself _in the last few months," Hiashi replied, his white eyes locking with Shibi's dark shades. "Here..." He reached into his haori and pulled out a stack of photos. "Count them up- all twenty two of them _should _be there. You can burn them in the fire." He pointed to the fireplace as Shibi took them gingerly with shaking hands and set them down on the floor. He would _definately _do that..._after _he bandaged Hiashi. Shibi had idly noticed that Hiashi's bleeding wasn't stopping...and it was worrying him.

"Where did you get those?," Shibi asked softly, setting to pull his haori off again and Hiashi didn't stop him this time. Shibi was shocked at all of the wounds on Hiashi's torso, jagged cuts here and again, as well as clean ones. The worst was a deep cut that began at his naval and wrapped around the right side of his torso and reached his back...it would scar, he was sure of it...

"Where else? I went directly to the source of your pain- Amaya and Sato," Hiashi replied easily, Shibi glancing at his face once more before setting to work on his wounds on his torso, cleaning them first so he could see how deep they were. Hiashi hissed in pain as Shibi wiped his torso down as gently as he could with a soft apology. "It's fine..." Hiashi waved off, his white eyes focused on Shibi's face, making the Aburame a little nervous as he worked. "You don't have to worry about them anymore, Shibi...they won't bother you _ever _again, I promise." Shibi had mixed feelings about that. '_I will be physically and mentally safe again...but at what cost?,' _Shibi asked silently, his eyes burning with tears that threatened to fall. '_I'm no medic, but even __**I **__can tell that his wounds are severe...he may not make it through the night...' _Shibi glanced at the window. The storm was kicking up, the winds shaking the window panes viciously as they breezed past. '_It would be near to impossible to get him to the hospital in this weather...maybe I should use a transportation jutsu_...' As if sensing his thoughts, Hiashi grabbed hold of his arm, stilling and surprising him. "I'm not going _anywhere_, Shibi."

"I need to staunch the blood flow and get you to the hospital," Shibi responded gently, shocked when Hiashi shook his head.

"Bandage me up, but I'm _not _going to the hospital," Hiashi replied stubbornly. "If I die, I die here knowing that you're alright. I can't lose you again...I _won't_!" Shibi's eyes widened at that, the intensity in Hiashi's eyes shocking him. "It was _my _fault that our fight lasted so long- I didn't want to be the one to give in and talk to you...and my stubborn selfishness lead to unnecessary suffering on your part. I want to apologize...but no apology would be enough to cover all of the damage done." The remorse in Hiashi's eyes was almost more than Shibi could bear to look at. "Instead...just let me stay here..._please_. I've seen your absence from reality...you've been gone for a _long _time, Shibi, and I've been unable to reach you...and I've missed my best friend." Shibi felt the tears welling in his eyes, realizing that he had done unintentional damage to Hiashi by withdrawing from the world...

"I've missed you, too, Hiashi," Shibi admitted softly, feeling his hot tears finally well and fall from his eyes. He was quick to wipe them away with his sleeve so the salty liquid didn't fall onto Hiashi's wounds and further ail him. He dared to peek at Hiashi as he began dressing his wounds, seeing the man looking at him in surprise. "And don't talk like that- you're not going to die. I'm not going to _let _you die on me...I've still got to give you a beating for this when you're all healed up." Amusement crossed Hiashi's face and Shibi gave a small grin from within his jacket. Shibi couldn't help the feeling of normality and that things were going to be alright from there on out. (He _had _to think about it like that and believe it...otherwise he would be on another downwards spiral. Hiashi _had _to live...and _he _was going to be the one to assure it. Plus it lightened the mood greatly...)

"You're going to _beat _me...for _helping _you?," Hiashi asked with a raised brow.

"For pushing yourself too far and doing it on purpose," Shibi nodded. "Idiot. I don't want you to get yourself _killed_."

"Says the man who took beatings for the last few months without so much as a word to anyone," Hiashi shot back.

"They blackmailed me," Shibi snorted in reply, tightening a bandage a little too tightly on purpose, Hiashi grunting at the action. "If I tried to get help...then those pictures would get out...and my father would either disown me or torture me and lock me up. And I think he would have rather tortured me, honestly..." Hiashi shook his head a little at that, Shibi continuing to mend his wounds as best he could.

"Your dad's a monster," came Hiashi's reply, Shibi only able to nod at that in agreement. It was silent a moment. "Those pictures...is it really what it looks like? Or...is it just to ruin you?"

"It was just to ruin me at first," Shibi slowly replied, swallowing hard at the memory. It was still a touchy subject... "But...it went too far...Amaya and Sato took it _way _too far..." Hiashi let out a disturbed grunt, letting him know he heard and he wasn't happy to hear it, but he really didn't know what to say to him. What _can _you say to a man, your best friend, who has been raped? Shibi understood that and it was silent for a long few minutes, the man finishing the bandaging of Hiashi's torso and head. "Finished...do you have any other wounds?" He started looking Hiashi over again.

"Some cuts on my legs and arms," Hiashi nodded, Shibi sighing as he went and rolled his pants legs up. There were two cuts on his left leg and five on his right with a gash around the back of his right leg.

"You're troublesome and reckless, I hope you realize that," Shibi shot at him, earning another amused look as he got back to work.

"Yes...for the forty-seventh time," Hiashi nodded as Shibi shook his head with a soft, short chuckle.

"You're still keeping up with that?," Shibi asked amusedly as Hiashi nodded slowly.

"Of course," Hiashi replied easily. "I've said the same about you fifty-nine times- and I'll say it again for _this_. You're troublesome and reckless. There. That's an even sixty. You're thirteen times more reckless than _I _am. I win." With a nod, Hiashi crossed his arms over his chest and Shibi looked back at him after he finished wrapping his gash. There was something both strangely normal and ridiculously _ab_normal about the end of that conversation that got to Shibi. Hiashi looked almost triumphant and his words had come out sounding like he had been souped up on some kind of medicine from the hospital, giving him a delirious vibe. Even his proud smirk was a bit off. That, combined with the tension, did it. Shibi couldn't help it...he laughed. He saw Hiashi blink at him as Shibi held his sides, his shades tumbling from his face. "Have you lost your _mind_? Maybe it should be _you _laying here instead of me..."

"N-No," Shibi managed to get out, his laughter slowing to a stop. "Ahaha...hah...it's just...you looked...hah-ah..." He wiped at his eyes to disperse the tears from his laughter as he watched a slow smile spread across Hiashi's face. It was a rare _real _smile with fondness in it and not anything smug or sadistic. To say Shibi was surprised was an understatement. "Hiashi?"

"It's good to see you smiling again, Shibi," Hiashi spoke up, even his eyes holding an odd happiness and relief in their deep white depths. "To see you happy again. You really had me worried..."

"S-Sorry...," Shibi apologized softly. "I felt like I couldn't come to you for help, though..."

"Yes...I know," Hiashi inclined his head. "And that was _my _fault." His smile slowly faded, but the happiness lingered in his eyes. "Next time I tell you that, you have all rights to hit me and tell me that I'm being idiotic. Remind me of this conversation...because you can _always _come to me for help, Shibi. We were teammates...and we're friends. Right?" He held up his hand and Shibi couldn't help the happiness that radiated from within him, a smile of his own crossing his face as he nodded.

"Right," he agreed verbally, catching Hiashi's hand in his own, the two shaking on it as Hiashi grinned.

**- Current Time -**

"From there, we continued talking as I finished bandaging his wounds and, a little later, I got him in some of my clean and dry clothes as I sat and Hiashi laid in front of the fireplace wrapped up in blankets. Hiashi was on the couch- I turned it towards the fire- and I was on the ground in front of the couch," Shibi finished his story with a soft sigh. Shino was awed and amazed at the story and the way Hiashi used to act and all. Now he made the connection. Hiashi saved his father from the anti-clan cults...and Hinata saved him from Hanabi, who was much like that Amaya girl from Shibi's story. There's really _no telling _what Hanabi would have done to him...and Hinata...she risked her life for that, as well as her clan, _and _to save herself. Still...it warmed him inside that she had thought of him and saved him from a fate similar to his father's.

"Mn," Shino hummed and nodded to that. '_I'm glad that Hinata fought for me...that she __**thought **__of me...but...at the same time...I feel bad about it, too_,' he mused inwardly. '_She was terribly injured... I want to do what I can for __**her**__, as well...as her friend and her future husband. I will fight for her...and I will fight at her side from here on out, protecting her when I can_.' Mind made up and Shino feeling better and more confident about things, he nodded once to his silent pledge.

"Well now...," Shibi spoke up, having noticed his son's silence. "You seem...enlightened."

"Eh...kind of...," Shino managed to reply, his face heating a little in embarrassment. He hadn't even realized that Shibi had seen him introvert...

"What are you thinking about?," Shibi asked directly.

"The connection between the story, what Hiashi did for you, and what Hinata did for me," Shino confessed, looking back at the timer on the stove. "I can see the similarities..."

"Hm," Shibi nodded, a feeling of pride within him. "Now you can see why I chose Hinata for you and started talking with Hiashi about things." Shino looked back at him with a blink of surprise, seeing a hidden grin on his father's face. "She's just like her father in some ways...and I'm sure she will be able to love you as you need her to. Just as Shizuka loved me...and Tsunata loved Hiashi." Shino could detect a distinct softening in his father as his voice softened. "She has a kind and gentle soul and she can overlook the bad with ease and see the good in people. The good in _you_, Shino." Shino felt his cheeks heating up a little again. Shibi's grin widened at his son as he looked back at the oven. "So...you want to help me make baked potatoes to go with our steaks? That sounds good right about now..." Shino was mildly surprised at the abrupt change of topic.

"Uhh...alright," Shino agreed with a nod. "That sounds good." With that, Shino and Shibi got back to work making supper. Shino had a newfound respect for his father and Shibi felt that things would be going _much _more smoothly from there on out, both men glad that he had shared his story.

Neji sighed as he wandered through the cooridors of the Hyuuga hospital, intent on finding Hanabi's room so that he could talk with her about her quarrel she had with Hinata that morning. But...as he rounded a corner, her room just down the hallway, he noticed something peculiar. Hiashi and Ibiki were standing just outside the door, talking in low, hushed tones. '_I can understand Hiashi being here...but Ibiki_?,' Neji thought silently, somewhat confused. A sudden thought struck him like icy lightning, a shiver bolting down his spine. '_Wait...Hiashi said that she would be punished...but surely he wouldn't_...' He stopped, not sure that he _wouldn't _call on Ibiki for something like that. _'Well...there's only one way to find out_...' Decision made, Neji took a breath and approached the two, both of them quieting as he neared.

"Hiashi-sama, Ibiki-san," Neji bowed politely, gaining a polite nod from Hiashi and a half-bow from Ibiki.

"Have you come to see Hanabi?," Hiashi asked, right to the point.

"Yes," Neji inclined his own head.

"It will have to wait a while," Hiashi surprised him. "Ibiki is going to...speak with Hanabi." He stopped there, as though pondering exactly what to tell him. Neji knew it for what it was- _'Ibiki is going to punish Hanabi and attempt to get her thought process back on the right page'_. "I am going to visit Hinata...there is something else I wanted to speak with her about...will you join me?" Mildly surprised at the abrupt change of topic and the invitation, Neji nodded once (albeit a bit slowly) in answer. "Good."

"Alright...I think I can handle it from here, Hiashi," Ibiki smiled a small, somewhat knowing smile.

"Hn," Hiashi hummed as he inclined his head. "Thank you for this, Ibiki."

"No problem," Ibiki inclined his head to Hiashi before turning towards Hanabi's door. With a simple twist of the handle, Ibiki opened the door and strode inside, the door sliding shut behind him with an odd sense of finality.

_**'Please **__let this be the right choice_...,' Hiashi mentally prayed as he showed no outward nervousy of the matter. He turned back to Neji, the man only showing a very slight discomfort at the knowledge of what Ibiki was going to do. (Hiashi knew he understood what was going to happen- he wasn't stupid.) "Shall we?," Hiashi asked Neji aloud, motioning to the hallway Neji had just come from, the way back to Hinata's room.

"Mnn," Neji hummed and inclined his head, taking the lead in heading back to her room. All the way there, Hiashi was silent...but it wasn't his normal silent. It wasn't the intimidating silent, the saddened silent, or even the suffocating silent that he usually managed to radiate wherever he went...it was more of a nervous silent; as though he was questioning himself...and Neji could give a guess as to what he was second-guessing himself about- having Ibiki talk to (mentally torture) Hanabi. It was a little strange to see his uncle showing so much emotion, and it was strange to see this whole other side of the man that he had never known. But...it had probably always been there, just on the other side of his impenatrible mental wall that he usually never let _anyone _slip by. Almost losing Hinata and Hanabi both in the same day must've shaken him to the point that his emotions, always bottled up and hidden, overflowed, cracks in his metaphorical walls allowing the emotions to slip out so that he didn't have a mental breakdown or anything. But now...because there were cracks...people could see some of his emotions and things that he normally hid from the world. Oddly enough, Neji felt like it was a good thing for Hiashi, that he let out some of his pent-up emotion and whatnot. Maybe...just maybe...Hiashi would continue to let a couple of cracks (not necessarily _all _of them) stay to allow his emotion to flow out. Neji knew firsthand that bottling up your emotions and things wasn't good for you...but he had Ten Ten to help him with that. Hiashi never let anyone help him...maybe _that _would change, too. Neji blinked as his feet automatically stopped in front of a door, the man looking at it a moment in surprise. It was Hinata's room. Glancing back and seeing Hiashi standing there expectantly, Neji rapped lightly on the door.

"Come in," a female voice called out. Neji recognized it as Hinata's nurse, Misa. He only knew her name was because he saw it on her name tag on her nurse uniform... Neji opened the door and stepped inside, Hiashi following just after and closing the door behind them. Looking over towards Hinata, they saw Misa switching two bags out, getting a new saline drip going and a new blood drip. Hinata was awake, but she looked a bit drowsy. She was rubbing her eyes tiredly, her bed holding her in an upright position. "I'll be out of here in just a second...I needed to change out her saline and blood drips." Neji and Hiashi both gave a nod of understanding as they went to Hinata's bedside, Hiashi taking a seat right beside her bed and Neji pulling up another chair so that he sat beside Hiashi.

"You look sleepy," Hiashi pointed out as Hinata gave them both a small smile.

"Y-Yes...I am...I was just asleep," Hinata admitted softly, focusing her bleary gaze on her father and cousin. Hinata felt an odd disappointment that Shino wasn't there anymore... She hid a yawn behind her hand before speaking again. "W-What time is it...? And what day is it?" Her sense of time was severely messed up from her two naps she had taken that day...

"It's about three forty," Neji guesstimated, having walk by a clock not long before that. "It's the same day; you've just slept a couple of hours since the meeting..." Hinata gave a small nod of understanding, the girl feeling a little weird in the head as she laid it back against the bed and rested against it.

"Alright...," Misa sighed contentedly, putting the two empty bags in the hazardous materials garbage can. "I will be back in a while to check your vitals again." Misa bowed to Hinata.

"Okay," Hinata nodded in return, the nurse quickly and quietly leaving the room. Hinata looked at her father, the man looking right at her...but _not _at the same time. His mind was in another place... "Are you alright, father?" Hiashi seemed to snap out of his daze, coming back to reality.

"Yes...of course," Hiashi inclined his head. "I was just thinking about something... Hinata...do you remember the conversation we had earlier, in the meeting?"

"Which one?," Hinata asked softly, thoughtfully, as she recalled the events of the meeting.

"The one where Shibi and I argued on the relevance of sharing the details of the event where I saved him from events similar to what would have happened to Shino, had you lost the battle with Hanabi," Hiashi explained the best he could, Hinata thinking on it a moment before her eyes lit up.

"Yes...I remember," Hinata nodded slowly, the girl rousing herself from her sleepiness as she looked at her father curiously. "If I may...could I ask what that was about? The details about the event, that is..." Neji was curious about that event, too, but he looked back at Hiashi a bit hesitantly. Chances were, he wouldn't share information like that...

"You may," Hiashi inclined his head, both Hinata and Neji shocked that he would talk about something like that...not to mention that it seemed to bother him to talk about it before... "I thought on it a while and I decided that Shibi might be right. He was right about the circumstances being similar, but it might be beneficial for you to know the details of what happened to Shibi...and the fate that you probably saved Shino from." He turned back to Neji, the man sitting up a little straighter. "_You _may even be able to benefit from this information...someday..."

"Oh...um...hm," Neji spoke softly with a hum, a blink, and a nod, understanding now why he was invited and he was glad that he came.

"Where to start...," Hiashi started softly, rubbing his chin in thought. "I suppose I should start with the day it all occurred...we were fifteen and out of our three-man squads. We were both Jounin, and Shibi had just come back from his first solo A-rank mission..."

**- Flashback -**

The young Hiashi Hyuuga had been training at his old team's training grounds for the last hour or so when his intense concentration was suddenly broken...

"Hey Hiashi!," the voice of Hiashi's closest friend and old teammate, Shibi Aburame, called. Hiashi stopped his training, his traditional clothing feeling heavy and hot on him (he was dressed in a white haori with black lining, white pants, a black tie around his waist, and standard black ninja shoes) as he wiped his brow and looked back to his old friend coming in from his most recent (and first) solo A-rank mission. Hiashi flicked a lock of his brown hair back over his shoulder, most of it mid-back in length and tied back at the end of it, as Shibi approached. The Aburame was in a tattered black jacket that was fully zipped up, the man looking worse for wear, his black pants and jacket torn...even his heavy duty black boots were scuffed and tearing in places... '_It must have been a __**hell **__of a fight_,' Hiashi mused to himself silently.

"Shibi," Hiashi inclined his head to his old friend in acknowledgement. Shibi stopped a little ways from him. "How did your mission go?" He didn't think it went badly, but he still wanted to know.

"Fairly well, all things considered," Shibi replied with a bob of his head. "I got out alive and I succeeded." Hiashi could tell he was smirking beneath his high top jacket, and that he was _quite _proud of himself for his accomplishment.

"I expected as much from you...and you seem to be proud of your success," Hiashi nodded in reply, his brow rising in slight amusement. He was sure Shibi could tell he was amused- the Aburame was as observant as _he _was..._and _they pretty much had one another figured out from their years of training together... He knew what came now- it happened after _every _successful mission. "I suppose now you would like to go out and celebrate..."

"I _would_...but I've already got another date lined up. Sorry, Hiashi," Shibi responded somewhat apologetically, though Hiashi could tell he was grinning within the confines of his jacket. Hiashi's brow furrowed as shock shot through him like a lightning bolt. They _always _went out to celebrate together...it was like a tradition now. (Unless they were badly injured or in the hospital. In that case, they celebrated when they got out.) Hiashi wanted an explanation...and he waited for the Aburame to give it. It took a moment, but the Aburame finally got it. "I'm going to score tonight." '..._Hunh_?,' Hiashi thought silently, confusedly, the man involuntarily lapsing a second in his stoic facade. He frowned as he tried to figure out what Shibi meant by that statement, his stoic facade back up...and he thought on it...and thought on it... Shibi looked a tad confused, himself. Finally, Hiashi decided to voice his confusion.

"Come again?," Hiashi asked confusedly, the Hyuuga seeing and hearing the Aburame sigh. _'I know I don't keep up with the new sayings and such...but look at where I live and look at who my father is, Shibi_,' Hiashi internally berated the man. '_My father is traditional in ways that my __**grandparents **__were...I don't learn much of the new slang and such...and I don't get out much, either- I __**can't**_.' Shibi _should _have understood that fact by now...

"I'm going to get laid tonight," Shibi spelled out for him, Hiashi feeling disgruntled at that and shocked. _'Idiot_!,' Hiashi chided him mentally. _'Does he __**know **__how much trouble he is about to get into_?!'

"Have you forgotten the rules of our clans?," Hiashi asked, a stern and scolding tone to his voice. "We are to remain virgin until we are arranged to marry another of our clan...and, even then, we cannot commit the act until the wedding night."

"You make it sound like murder or something," Shibi pointed out, a sweat drop on his brow. Hiashi only frowned at him. Shibi _needed _to follow the rules of their clans! He got in trouble with his father enough as it was... "Look, it's not like it's a big deal or anything- it's not like they can find out about it. They can't check me and know...so they won't find out...unless _you _tell them about it." Hiashi's frown deepened. He was using a guilt-trip tactic...and Hiashi inwardly cursed him as it weighed on him a little."Oh come on, Hiashi, at least let me get away with this _one _thing. I won't get caught and I won't ask you to bail me out." Hiashi made sure his emotionless facade was in place as he thought about what he was saying a moment. _'This is the __**most **__idiotic thing he has asked of me yet!,' _Hiashi growled silently, the man livid. '_You know what..? Maybe I __**have **__bailed you out one too many times, Shibi. If you get caught, and I suspect you __**will **__in one way or another, I won't be there for you...not __**this **__time_.' Decision made, the man stubbornly set against helping the Aburame in _any _way, he replied to Shibi's plea.

"Do what you want, Shibi, but I'm keeping you to your word," Hiashi replied in his regal no-nonsense voice to show he meant business. "_Don't _come to me if you get caught, because I won't help you. I want _no _part of your idiocy."

"Deal," Shibi inclined his head as Hiashi shook his own at him. '_He is going to regret this when his father arranges him to wed_...,' Hiashi internally mused with a discreet sigh through his nose. _'Wait_...' He remembered something vital, thinking of the women of Konoha- there were _many _in groups against the Aburame clan...and there were many against the Hyuuga, as well, but that didn't matter to him at the moment. He didn't want the idiot to _die_... _'If he's going to lay with a woman, I have to, at least, make sure it's one that isn't going to kill him_...'

"Can I ask but one thing?," Hiashi started somewhat hesitantly. This was an awkward question to ask... Shibi held his hand up for him to continue. "Who are you lying with?" He could tell Shibi was smirking and he immediately knew what he was thinking...the pervert...

"Want to get in on the action, do you?," Shibi asked teasingly, Hiashi feeling his cheeks burning a little at the jab.

"No way in hell," Hiashi replied in a hard, deadpanned tone, making Shibi chuckle at him. Shibi knew he didn't like talking about sex... "I want to know only for the purposes of your safety. There are kunoichi that would rather you dead..."

"Yes...I know...," Shibi spoke in a softer tone, Hiashi seeing him become serious again. "It's not one of _them_... Though...this girl _is _known for her promiscuity..." Hiashi raised a brow expectantly. "It's Amaya." Hiashi felt his heart stop. He knew he must have shown his shock, because Shibi seemed surprised. But...Shibi couldn't go out with her! He had seen some _bad _things from the girl and he had heard even worse... Amaya was a devious one...she liked to play with her prey before she put them in some sort of compromising position. Then, she used blackmail and threats to bring that person down, completely and totally breaking them before she went ahead and did whatever she threatened them with, killing them socially, destroying relationships, and turning the person's family away from them. Not to mention...he had heard rumors of an underground group that was against _all _clans...and Amaya was rumored to be one of the top members of that club! He didn't know if it was true or not, but he didn't want to find out because of Shibi's recklessness.

"Cancel your date," Hiashi ordered immediately.

"W-What?," Shibi asked, seeming to be shocked at his demand.

"Cancel...your date," Hiashi spoke slower, the man hating how it came out as almost a mock because of his slightly irritated tone.

"Why should I?," Shibi asked defensively.

"I know things about her, Shibi...go with another girl," Hiashi shook his head at the, seemingly confused, Aburame.

"I don't understand...is she one of the ones that wants to kill Aburame or Hyuuga?," Shibi asked directly.

"Well...no...but...she isn't good for you," Hiashi replied vaguely, the man inwardly cursing himself for having such troubles talking about sexual issues...

"If you don't have a good reason, then just say so," Shibi snorted in reply, Hiashi noticing that he was starting to get angry. "Don't give me your weak-ass excuses!" Hiashi felt desperate...Shibi _had _to listen to him!

"I will say it but once more, Shibi," Hiashi responded, finally seeing something in Shibi change. He was listening. _Good_. "_Don't go to her_. Get with another...there are plenty more willing and able to lay with an _Aburame_." Hiashi emphasized the last word a little to try and get him to understand what he was saying. _'She sexually harasses clan members...please understand, Shibi!,' _Hiashi silently plead. Hiashi blinked as Shibi's own stoic facade came up.

"You're just jealous," Shibi shot back at him, Hiashi feeling exasperated. He _didn't _get it... "I'm _not _going to cancel my date." He paused, Hiashi seeing him almost trembling in anger. _'He took it the exact __**opposite **__direction_...,' Hiashi realized within the confines of his mind. "And I may be an Aburame, but at least I've got a good personality _and _I've got _someone _who will take me in. Girls avoid _you _because of your sour, cold attitude and your freakish white eyes...because you're a _Hyuuga_!" Hiashi's eyes widened, the man honestly shocked that Shibi would say something like that...it was a _really _low blow. He tried to keep the girls away not because he wanted to, but because he knew he couldn't be with them. He had already fallen for one and had his heart broken because of it (he had even prepared to fight his father for the girl)- she had said that she could never be with someone with 'freakish white eyes'. Because he was a Hyuuga. Her friends made fun of him right then and there, saying things like 'who would want _you _with your attitude?', 'you're so frigid and cold that you would freeze any girl you even _touched_!', and 'you're so sour a lemon would be jealous!'. And he had been nice to them, despite their own bad attitudes. He would have hit them, too...if they had been kunoichi. Coming out of his shock and feeling anger set in at the hard blow, Hiashi's eyes narrowed and his jaw set firmly, a frown stretching his lips thin. _'I'm going to walk the higher road and be the better man...'_

"If you won't listen to reason, then this is a pointless argument," Hiashi replied stiffly. "Go ahead and go do what you want to do, Shibi. But...don't tell me I didn't warn you. You will regret it..." Hiashi looked away from Shibi as the man scoffed at him. "And I won't be there to help you when you come crying back to me, saying I was right."

"Fine," Shibi retorted indignantly. "I don't need your help. Not now, not _ever_. _You'll _be the one proven wrong when everything goes as it should. Stupid Hyuuga." Hiashi bristled at the insult, the man only angry at Shibi now.

"Moronic Aburame," Hiashi shot back at him before he turned his back to Shibi and went back to training, throwing kunai at multiple moving targets. He heard the Aburame grumbling to himself as he left, but he didn't care. If the idiot wanted to dive right into trouble, then he would go ahead and let him. It wasn't _his _fault if something happened...Hiashi did _his _part- he warned him. That was _all _he had to do. Hiashi threw three kunai particularly hard, the man jumping back and stopping with a soft pant, having been throwing kunai like crazy to get his frustrations out. His last three went straight through the targets and hit the ground behind them, sinking about an inch in. "Damn fool..."

**- Current Time -**

"So then...you just let him go?," Neji asked, rather shocked at the situation and argument. Hinata was just as shocked, a hand at her lips, her cheeks a rosy pink.

"Yes...I regret it, but I was so angry with him that I just let him go and get into trouble," Hiashi nodded. Neji looked away with a small nod, processing everything up to that point. "I also just don't like talking about such matters openly...of course, I was much worse _then _than I am _now_, but it was because of that problem that Shibi landed himself in such trouble..." Hiashi's eyes flickered with sadness and regret, Neji and Hinata both feeling bad for _both _of them. "Of course...if Shibi had been less perverse, that would have helped, as well..." Hinata's cheeks darkened a little as Neji's brow rose.

"That is...odd...," Neji spoke up, Hinata and Hiashi looking over at him. "I never would have guessed that Shibi was so perverted..."

"He still is," Hiashi grunted, surprising them again. "Shibi doesn't talk about that kind of thing unless he is with someone he knows he can trust...or tease. Which reminds me..." Hiashi looked over at Hinata, the girl blinking at him in surprise. "Don't be shocked if he starts teasing _you _about such things...I hear he teases Shino _quite _regularly..." Hinata felt her cheeks burning a little more, the girl shocked, embarrassed, and amazed.

"I-I never w-would have known...S-Shino-kun never talks a-about that kind o-of thing and he never c-complains about being teased...," Hinata spoke up, astounded. She was also a little afraid of being teased...she wasn't used to that kind of thing...

"Shino has the decency to be embarrassed about such things," Hiashi replied easily. "From what I understand, Shibi likes to tease him because Shino reacts adversely to it. He will change the topic, attempt to ignore Shibi, or run from him." She _never _would have guessed that Shino was teased so much by his father... Neji shook his head, feeling bad for the man. He didn't mind talking about the topic every now and again (it didn't embarrass him very much, it never had), but to be teased constantly? He would have lost it at some point...

"So...did Shibi-san see that Amaya girl?," Neji asked, wanting to get on with the story.

"He did...," Hiashi nodded and sighed, looking a little older than he was. "I didn't know the details until _much _later, but he went to Amaya's house that night. And, as I had thought, she was a _very _cruel woman... I didn't learn until months later what she did to him, and I won't say it just yet, but I _will _say that she was a part of the anti-clan cult. She was a high-ranking member, and she hated the Aburame clan the most of all...for their bugs and their heavily scarred bodies." Hinata's eyes widened, realizing the similarity between Shibi's situation and what almost happened to Shino. Hanabi could have hurt Shino like this Amaya girl did to Shibi... "I suppose I will go on to what happened the next day, because that was the next time I saw him...we fought...and something odd happened..."

**- Flashback -**

"Watch where you're going, _Aburame_," Hiashi ground out as Shibi accidentally bumped into him on the street, groceries in hand. He had seen the man looking around warily, not watching where he was going...but he was still angry at him for the fight the day before. '_He must've gotten into some kind of trouble...,' _Hiashi inwardly snorted. '_I __**told **__him to stay away from that girl_...'

"Sorry, _Hyuuga_, didn't see you standing there," Shibi retorted tauntingly. As Shibi turned his face to look up at Hiashi, the man noticed something odd. He had bruises on his face (a large one on his forehead, one on his left cheek, and he could see the makings of a bruise around his right eye)...and that didn't match what he had heard about Amaya. She only toyed with her victims...she never brutalized them... _Now _Hiashi was worried...

"What happened to your face?," Hiashi asked, evading the fight that he'd started as he saw color rising Shibi's cheeks. Even the way he held himself and his demeanor told Hiashi that he was pretty badly beaten up and hurting.

"None of your damn business, _that's _what," Shibi snapped back at him irritably, shocking Hiashi somewhat. "I don't go around asking about _your _face, do I?" Hiashi frowned sourly as his anger returned a little. _'What the hell is __**his **__problem_?,' Hiashi asked himself silently. '_And __**who **__did he get tangled with last night? Never mind. I don't want to know. Hmph... If he's well enough to snap and be pissed at me, then he's fine. I might as well give him a comeback and embarrass him enough to where he won't try anything stupid like that __**ever **__again_...'

"I suppose not...," Hiashi clucked his tongue, showing that he was displeased with Shibi. "But _my _face isn't messed up like _yours _is. What happened? Were you not able to satisfy her?" Hiashi watched Shibi's face redden, his anger poorly hidden. Time to kick it up a notch... "You weren't as good as you thought you were, were you?" A smirk curved at Hiashi's lips as Shibi got angrier. _'Good...get angry_,' Hiashi taunted in his mind. _'You deserve this_.' "Serves you right." Hiashi had leaned in a little closer so that he could taunt him softly, so no one else heard.

"Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. My. Face," Shibi growled back at him, his eyes narrowed dangerously, his eyebrows furrowed deeply the only outward show of it. Hiashi knew he was treading in dangerous waters, but he couldn't resist pushing him a little more. (Why not? Shibi was always teasing and pushing him past _his _limits...)

"Oh... Did I hit a nerve?," Hiashi asked mock innocently, leaning in just a little closer. Hiashi saw Shibi's anger hit a peak and Hiashi actually regretted messing with him.

"Stupid bastard!," Shibi snarled, rearing back and head butting the shocked Hyuuga. Hiashi gave a soft cry as he stumbled back a few steps, shocked at the sudden attack.

"Ah!," Hiashi cried out, the nearby people a little nervous with the sudden fight. "What the hell is _wrong _with you, Shibi?!" Shibi was panting softly, his anger barely concealed. Hiashi noticed his mouth open, like he was going to reply, then his attention was caught elsewhere. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Sato grinning maniacally from ear to ear...and Sato was the _definition _of trouble.

"Shit!," Shibi cursed out loud, Hiashi thoroughly shocked. Gripping his groceries, Shibi took off in the opposite direction that Sato was standing (towards his home, Hiashi guessed).

"What the hell...?," Hiashi asked aloud, a little shocked by the events. He ignored the stirred-up people nearby, everyone speculating about the event. _'What in the world did you do, Shibi_...?,' Hiashi asked silently. _'Getting mixed up with Ayame is one thing...but with Sato_?' No matter how Hiashi put things together, the puzzle pieces didn't fit. There was something _really _off about this...and he was going to figure out what it was.

**- Current Time -**

"From there, I started my own personal mission to find out what was wrong with Shibi in between missions I was given by the Kage and the clan," Hiashi explained. "I couldn't approach him directly because of our argument, but I did everything I could to figure it out on my own...including spying on Sato and his friends. I even went undercover in disguise as a younger ninja from the academy that wanted to join the anti-clan organizations. It took about three and a half months for me to figure it out completely and gain their trust...three and a half months that Shibi suffered and became more and more distant..." Hiashi shook his head, ashamed of himself for not just confronting Shibi about everything in the first place.

"What...what happened to him?," Hinata asked softly. She and Neji were kind of shocked by the turn of events...both unsure as to what could have happened...

"I found out...that Amaya had tricked him," Hiashi started slowly, both Hinata and Neji somewhat surprised at that. "She lured him to her house and seduced him, though she never _really _touched him. She made sure that he was completely undressed and his eyes shut before she went and got a disposable camera and took a few pictures of his heavily scarred body. When he opened his eyes, she called to Sato and Sato's old best friend, Ichizo. Both of them were big brutes, easily overpowering Shibi while she took photos of his 'hideous body', to use her exact words. ...It was at about _that _time that Amaya decided to ruin Shibi's image by taking photos of him and Sato in compromising positions, Sato's identity hidden..._that's _when things _really _got out of hand... Sato _actually _raped him at one point and they beat him horribly, thus his bruises the day after. The _really _disturbing thing about all of that, not that the rape _wasn't_, was that they took pictures all along the way and kept them for blackmail." Hinata and Neji's eyes both widened in shock, Hinata's cheeks flushing a bit and draining of color at the same time, giving them a pale pink pallor. "After I met Shibi the next day and he ran away, Sato giving chase, I learned that he was taken to one of the cult member's houses and he was beaten and abused. After he passed out from the pain, they wrote cruel things about his clan and they dumped him on his father's front stoop. His father took him to the hospital...but he later punished him for his 'weakness'. It wasn't so much weakness as being ganged up on by ninja and kunoichi, Sato there _every _time, but Shibi's father didn't understand that. Just to clarify, Sato was a _very _large man and physically powerful, though agile. He was one of Shibi's worst nightmares when it came to match-ups...he didn't stand a chance against him. And they used that to their advantage."

"So...for three and a half months...they were doing things like that to him?," Neji asked softly, horrified. He was amazed that Shibi had come out of that as well as he had...

"Somewhat, yes," Hiashi inclined his head. "They would beat him regularly, but they never touched him sexually again. Shibi just...stopped trying to get away after a while. He stopped speaking unless spoken to, and his mind would be somewhere far away from reality. He had to pretend he was fine for his father, even with broken bones, so his father didn't punish him. I have to admit...Keniichi Aburame was a _very _strict and cruel man..." Hiashi shook his head. "And Shibi...he was like a living doll. He went through the motions of the day, but he wasn't _really _there. I tried to talk to him, but it was too late...the damage was done. Eventually, he was taken off of missions because of his mental instability and he just sat at home day in and day out while his father berated him."

"That's horrible," Hinata commented sadly, her voice soft.

"Yes...it was," Hiashi admitted with an incline of his head. "But I managed to finally find out everything I needed to about that time...and I decided to take action. I wrote down a list of all of the members that hurt him...and it was practically the _entire _cult, fifty four members in all. The day that I found out the last one was the day I went and wrote them invitations to a..._party _of sorts. In the invitations, I wrote that Shibi would be there and I wanted to humiliate and beat him in front of them and they could join in."

"But Shibi-san didn't even know about it, did he?," Neji asked, understanding where this was going.

"No," Hiashi gave a small, slightly proud grin with a hint of justified malice in it. "Shibi didn't know about it until _much _later that night. It just so happened that the meeting place was out in the middle of the woods, away from civilization, but somewhat close to Keniichi's mansion. I waited until they were all there before I stepped out before all of them and dropped my guise. They were shocked...a Hyuuga had infiltrated their ranks and tricked them. Needless to say, a fight broke out immediately. First it was the Genin and lower ranks, then the Chunin...and, finally, fellow Jounin. By the time I made it to the Jounin, I had a few cuts on my torso, arms, and legs, and the cloudy skies had darkened. There were mild winds that turned to strong winds later on into the last fight, and light rainfall that turned into heavy rainfall...thunder shook the ground, and lightning lit up the night sky like daylight..."

**- Flashback -**

"It's just the seven of us now," Hiashi chuckled, wiping blood from his lips as he eyed the six Jounin in a circle around him. Night had already fallen, but lightning occasionally lit the night, the clouds obscuring the sky and light otherwise. Hiashi didn't have much of a problem with that, unlike the others- he had his Byakugan to help him. He had the upper hand, despite his injuries and the odds against him..._and _despite the weather- rain that had them _all _soaked to the bone, and the harsh winds that slowed them all down a little. _'Let's see...there's Amaya, Sato, Ichizo, Kennosuke, Naota, and Haruka_,' Hiashi silently listed. '_I will take Amaya and Sato out last. Haruka is a traps specialist who is out of her leauge here because she has been unable to set proper traps without my notice, Naota is hot-headed and relies on his massive chakra too much, Kennosuke is a berserker, Ichizo is a twin blade user with the wind element on his side tonight, Sato relies too much on his physical strength, and Amaya has the odd opposing elements of water and fire and she likes to use a scalding water attack that I need to steer clear of...' _

"Yeah," Naota called back, taking an offensive stance. "So what? That's six Jounin against you. You won't win this time."

"Numbers don't matter, Naota, only actual _skill _matters," Hiashi replied tauntingly.

"Why, you-!," Naota growled angrily.

"Stop," Amaya halted him before he could attack Hiashi. "Don't get riled up, that's _exactly _what he wants...we will attack in our two units; the one I don't call will monitor the perimeter to make sure he doesn't escape... Unit two, he's all yours."

"Don't mind if we do," Ichizo smirked as he cracked his knuckles and drew his twin blades.

"Seriously," Haruka grinned, pulling out a strand of guro wire.

"This is gonna be fun," Naota laughed, getting into an offensive stance as Kennosuke, Sato, and Amaya strategically spread out to create a circular perimeter around them. _'Alright_...,' Hiashi sighed to himself, ignoring his pain and weariness. '_I have visibility on my side...I may be tired and slowed some, but maybe I can use their attacks against them_...' Quickly formulating a basic plan, Hiashi drew a kunai and battled the three off, all three having come at him at once. They were too close to start an Eight Trigrams Rotation, so he did what he could for the moment. A flash of lightning in the sky illuminated the land for a brief second...and Hiashi saw a glint of silver in the light. _'Guro wire_..._Haruka_.' He couldn't turn his back to her- she would have him wound up in guro wire or that guro wire would be around his neck in a second. His lips twitched down into a frown, the man evading Naota's hits and blocking them as Ichizo attacked from the opposite side from Haruka. _'They __**want **__me to turn my back to her_...' His teeth ground together at his realization, the man having a bit of trouble parrying Ichizo's blades, along with dodging and blocking Naota's hits, _and _blocking Haruka's hits. '_I have to do something...__**fast**_...' Thinking as quickly as possible and keeping his Byakugan eyes wide open, he finally found what he was looking for a long moment later- an opening. He lurched forwards and launched his chakra-filled palm into Naota's nose, the man morbidly satisfied to hear the cartilage crunch as the man cried out in shock and stumbled back. Hiashi quickly stepped forwards and ducked down, letting Ichizo's blade pierce the shocked Haruka. She managed to swerve to the side in time, so she was nicked across her side. The wound wasn't deep, but it _was _long. Hiashi wasted no time in starting an Eight Trigrams Rotation. _'Just let them get close...I'll show them that this isn't __**only **__a defensive technique_!'

"Damn it!," Ichizo gasped as he managed to get his footing again on the slick, muddy ground.

"Watch it, Ichizo!," Haruka hissed, holding her side gingerly.

"Sorry," Ichizo frowned at the girl.

"My fuckin' nose!," Naota cried, his voice muffled by his hands as blood poured from them.

"Suck it up," Ichizo growled. "It's that perfect defensive technique...what do we do, Amaya?" Hiashi kept a close eye on them all, their ring leader seeming to contemplate the answer to the question. It took her a moment, but Hiashi was slightly surprised at her answer.

"Get back," Amaya called out. "I'll send Kennosuke out and activate his berserker mode. Stay out of his path and he'll break the rotation with his brute force. Then you can all beat on him- again, _stay clear of Kennosuke_! Understand?"

"Understood," Ichizo, Naota, and Haruka nodded in reply at about the same time. _**'Great**_...,' Hiashi inwardly sighed. _'That plan __**could **__work...I guess I have to make a plan B...' _He thought as fast as he could as the three backed away and Kennosuke entered the circle, Amaya and Sato standing on opposite sides of the circle to keep them inside it.

"The red sun at dusk looks like blood," Amaya called out, Hiashi watching in awe and slight horror as Kennosuke's cool and calm demeanor suddenly changed. His dark eyes grew large before narrowing dangerously, a look of pure rage crossing his normally stoic face. His large fists clenched and unclenched as he set his sights on Hiashi. '_I might be able to_...,' Hiashi started and stopped in his mind. _'But I'll only have __**one **__shot_...' He didn't have time to think about anything else as Kennosuke charged at him, full speed. Hiashi held his breath and waited until Kennosuke was close...then he managed to duck down as Kennosuke's large fist sailed through the air where his head was only a second before. Hiashi used the momentum from the Rotation to back the force of his leg as it came into contact with Kennosuke's midsection. Hiashi's eyes widened in shock as Kennosuke only bent forwards a little and grunted. _'He should have been thrown back! __**Knocked back **__at the very __**least**_...' Before Hiashi could pull his leg fully away, Kennosuke's large hands fastened onto Hiashi's leg, the larger man swinging him into the air by his leg and bringing him crashing down to the ground in one devastating blow. Hiashi let out a shaky breath, his breath knocked from him the moment his back made contact with the ground. The softened mud sank in, water and mud splashing him in the face. He sputtered and pushed his head up, focusing his, somewhat blurry, vision on Kennosuke. The man was staring down at him with squinted eyes (trying to see if he was still moving around, obviously), his lips lifted up into a devilish smirk. '_I need to move. __**Fast**_.' Hiashi's left hand found a kunai and his right hand closed around a large chunk of squishy mud. In one smooth movement, Hiashi sat fully upright and threw the kunai, Kennosuke seeming shocked as the blade lodged in his chest, in his ribcage. Hiashi made sure to miss his vital organs, and it startled the larger man long enough for Hiashi to spring to his feet, his right hand launching the mud into his eyes as he did so. Kennosuke cried out and stumbled back.

"Eight Trigrams, Sixty Four Palms!," Hiashi cried as he hit Kennosuke several times in succession, the man stumbling back into a tree. '_Twenty four...fourty eight...sixty four...seventy two...ninety six...one twenty_!,' Hiashi counted in his mind, the man skidding back after he hit the last chakra gate. Most of Kennosuke's main chakra gates were sealed off now, so he wouldn't be able to cast jutsu or even attach himself to trees or walk on the surface of water if he wanted to. Of course...in his current mental standing, he didn't have the sense to do any of that- it just hurt and weakened him a little. If they released him from his berserk mode, it would better affect him. (And Hiashi had a plan for them to do just that.) Hiashi was quick to jump away, barely escaping Kennosuke's grasp. He ran after Hiashi, the Hyuuga skidding to a stop near the edge of the circle and turning to face Kennosuke.

"Run all you want, _Hyuuga_, but Kennosuke will still get you," Naota snickered from behind him. '_Oh...It's not __**me **__he's going to get_,' Hiashi replied silently, waiting for the right moment to move. He waited for Kennosuke to get close, then he waited until he pulled his arm back...and, the moment before he swung, Hiashi ducked down and slid to the side. He smirked when he heard Naota cry out in shock and pain, the man doubled over on Kennosuke's fist. Hiashi lept back into a tree and hid as he watched the berserker maul Naota and start on Ichizo, who had tried to stop him.

"Dammit!," Amaya cried, Haruka attempting to help them control Kennosuke. "T-The pure white moonlight washes away the blood!" Hiashi blinked in surprise as Kennosuke dropped Haruka, the man looking a little preturbed and in pain. He took a shaky breath and pulled the kunai from his chest with a grunt of pain. He had taken Naota, Haruka, and Ichizo down while he was out of it.

"What the hell happened?," Kennosuke asked as he gazed at his fallen comrades, their blood on his hands. His hands shook, the man obviously disturbed. "You all _know _how I get...why did they get in the way?" His shocked gaze met a frustrated Amaya, a flash of lightning illuminating her face.

"The Hyuuga tricked you into attacking Naota, and the other two tried to stop you," she replied simply, a frown marring her pretty face. "Damn bastard is smart..."

"I don't want to go into that mode again- it's useless if he can manipulate me and it's useless if he knows how to reverse it," Kennosuke spoke, Hiashi really having to strain his ears to hear him. "But...it seems my chakra gates have been shut. My ninja arts will be useless for about the next thirty minutes to an hour."

"Shit," Sato growled, the three obviously angry and frustrated at Hiashi. Said man smirked from within his tree he was hiding in. "At least you still have your strength..." Kennosuke nodded to that. "What now, Amaya? He broke our formation..."

"But it looks like he's out for revenge for his _Aburame _friend," Amaya answered, looking around. "He won't stop until we've _all _been defeated- he won't leave this area. Spread out and find him- take him down. We'll take him to a hideout from there and make his life hell." _'We'll see about __**that**_,' Hiashi snarled silently at them from his hideaway.

"That's what _I'm _talkin' about," Sato smirked.

"_Scatter_!," Amaya ordered, the three ninja doing just that. Hiashi stayed hidden and kept his eyes out for the three (deactivating his Byakugan to give it a little rest and replenish chakra), the man determined to carry out his revenge on them- revenge for Shibi, who couldn't (and wouldn't) seek it, himself. _'A plan...I need a plan_...,' he thought silently, keeping quiet as he thought, a hand touching his aching torso. He was still bleeding in places because of his inability to stand still and the rain kept washing away most of the clots that formed there. Hiashi also had a couple cuts on his left leg, one on his right, some small cuts on his arms from kunai and shuriken, and he was pretty sure he had a wound somewhere above his hairline from a cheap hit a Genin got on him earlier. (His white garb was now stained crimson in places and the garb was soaked through, clinging to his muscular form like a washrag.) Rustling in nearby brush caught his attention and he lept into higher boughs, reactivating his Byakugan. He waited, his brow furrowed when he realized there was no person or animal in that brush... BAM! Hiashi fell out of the tree and nearly lost consciousness at the hard hit that struck him on the right side of his head.

"Got him!," a voice cried, the voice muffled-sounding to Hiashi as he tried to come back to his senses and stand up. "Where do you think _you're _going?" The dazed Hyuuga looked into the face of Sato as the man picked him up by the collar of his haori. He couldn't hear in his right ear, he noticed idly as he managed to glare at the clan hater, his vision blurring and swimming. He tried to ignore it and gave no sign of his inner struggles as Sato glared right back at him with a smirk.

"Wouldn't _you _like to know?," Hiashi growled in reply as his left hand reached back into the hidden satchel around the back of his garb that was attached to the belt that held his haori together and his pants up.

"Don't kid yourself," Sato snorted, tightening his grip on Hiashi's haori. Hiashi's free right hand kept him from choking. "You can't get away from _me_."

"Is that _so_?," Hiashi smirked in reply, his hand finding what he was rummaging for- a small bit of flash powder. (It was powder that made a bright flash like a flash bomb, but it was a flash that didn't last quite as long as the flash that a bomb produced.)

"I don't like your attitude," Sato sneered. "You're worse than that Aburame..." Hiashi leaned forwards a bit, his smirk gaining a malicious touch to it as he pulled the powder carefully from the pouch.

"That's because I'm a _Hyuuga_," He spoke to Sato as though he were a child. "We tend to be a little more arrogant and in-your-face than the Aburame. Even a moron, like you, should understand _that_."

"Why you!," Sato growled, pulling his free fist up, as to rear back and punch him. Silently activating his Byakugan, Hiashi saw Amaya touch down behind them.

"Wait! Sato!," She called. Too late. Hiashi slung his arm around, the flash powder getting in Sato's eyes as he threw it down, his own eyelids firmly shut.

"Ahh! Mother of-! Damn it all to hell!," Sato yelled, Hiashi easily getting out of his grasp as the flash powder hit the ground and emitted a bright flash that he was completely immune to (so long as he kept his eyelids shut). He socked Sato in the face with his fist, the man giving a cry and falling back on his rear as Hiashi lept back off into the trees to devise a new plan of action- it was going to take a _lot _more than that to take Sato down, and Kennosuke, too. _'Damn...if Shibi were here, he could create a pitfall and his Kikkaichu could drain them dry...then I could finish them_,' Hiashi sighed softly as the bright flash cleared away and the darkness returned, the man watching the two. _'No use wishing for the impossible...where's Kennosuke? I wanted to pick __**him **__off first- he is, physically, the strongest_...' (It was easier to pick them off one at a time, after all, and it would be a fair fight that way.) Deciding to look for him, Hiashi lept through the trees as quietly as he could and hid, looking for him with his Byakugan. He lept several more times before he deactivated his Byakugan again, letting it rest as he rested against the trunk of a tree. _'This is more taxing that I thought it would be...'_ He sighed and let his body rest a moment.

"I should have stopped him from going to Amaya that day," he whispered softly to himself, regret eating at him again. "All of this could have been avoided if I had only..."

"But you didn't," whispered another voice from the left, making him blink and wonder if it was his mind playing tricks on him as he looked around for the voice. He couldn't see anything around him, so he got to his feet and peeked around the tree stealthily. A sudden searing pain in his right leg made him cry out softly and turn back around. Kennosuke was sitting on a branch in a tree near to him with a devious grin, a cat's claw glove on his large fist, four gleaming blades shining in the darkness as lightning flashed. Blood trickled down the blades, Hiashi grimancing as he touched his wounded leg, feeling warm blood oozing out of the cuts. _'This is going to slow me down some_,' he frowned inwardly. "You may have shut my chakra gates, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeves."

"I see that," Hiashi replied, gritting his teeth as he heard voices drawing near. _'I'm just going to have to_...,' Hiashi started and stopped mentally, deciding on a risky course of action. Without another word, he launched forwards, grabbing a kunai, and he attacked Kennosuke. The cat's claw and kunai clashed a few times, the blades making small sparks in the night. Before he could get a hit in, Kennosuke sent his kunai flying. Hiashi jumped back a few branches and drew another kunai as Kennosuke slowly followed him back, the man a little unsteady on the rain-slicked branches without his chakra to help him. Hiashi watched him stabilize himself on a nearby branch and Hiashi started forwards, leaping at the wobbly man. He was caught midair by a kunai. The kunai nicked him just above his eyebrow, a trickle of blood running down as Hiashi barely managed to keep from being caught by Sato, who was waiting for him on the branch below Kennosuke. Kennosuke struck, Hiashi grunting as his kunai met the cat's claw again, the man pushed back a little...enough for Sato to slice into the back of his right leg with his kunai. "Ahhnnn!" Hiashi had to bite back his cry of pain, the cut much deeper than the others he had.

"How do you like _that_, you arrogant prick?," Sato laughed, Hiashi having to jump away from the two quickly, his leg hindering him some. _'Dammit...they got me_,' Hiashi inwardly seethed. _'This cut is deep...I can tell that without even having to look at it_.'

"Not bad...for a numbskull," Hiashi goaded, Sato's laughter coming to an abrupt halt.

"Okay, keep talking dumb shit," Sato growled. "_We're_ not the ones who are hurt- and there's only _one _of you and _three _of us."

"Like I said before...," Hiashi replied firmly as he fixed his eyes on Sato's slightly surprised dark orbs. "It's not quantity that matters here- it's _quality_. You may be Jounin, but that doesn't make us equals."

"You're damn right we're not equals, freak," Sato snapped back at him. "Normal people beat clan abominations by a mile."

"Clan abominations?," Hiashi repeated, Sato smirking at him. "Abominations...do you _really _want to see an abomination?"

"Bring it, fucker," Sato egged on, Amaya landing on a branch behind them. Sato took an offensive stance as she and Kennosuke watched, Hiashi managing to crouch down. "Let's see what you've got!" Hiashi made a handsign.

"Shadow clone jutsu!," Hiashi called, forming four clones and surprising the three as he lept forwards with his clones. Hiashi landed on the branch with Sato, the man ignoring the pain in his leg as he ran at Sato, the man distracted. Hiashi rammed his fist into Sato's gut, the man doubling over his fist with widened eyes of shock, Amaya dealing with one clone and Kennosuke dealing with the two others. "Look in the mirror if you want to see a _real _abomination. A pitiful one at that." Sato went to hit him and he jumped back.

"If _I'm_ an abomination what does that make _you_?," he asked with a snort as Hiashi smirked, secretly making handsigns.

"A demon," Hiashi shot back deviously. "I'll make it my own personal mission to make all of your worst nightmares come to life!" He finished the handsigns, sending Sato into a genjutsu illusion that Hiashi manipulated so it looked like he transformed into a demon-like being, startling Sato and making him cry out in shock. Hiashi ran forwards again and started connecting his palms to Sato's body. "Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms!" Sato grunted, blown back into the trunk of the tree as Hiashi shut off his chakra gates one by one, making sure to hurt him, but not kill him. His clone that had been after Amaya was destroyed and the two after Kennosuke had done what he had hoped they could- they made him fall from the tree and rendered him unconscious (but still alive). After that, they went to Amaya, holding her off while he dealt with Sato.

"RELEASE!," Amaya yelled, making Hiashi inwardly curse as he noticed Sato's eyes unglaze, the jutsu broken. Hiashi continued the hits, making it to one hundred and seven before Sato regained enough sense to knock him away. Sato's fist connected with Hiashi's nose, the man grunting in pain as blood spurted from it. He lept back, holding a hand to his nose (thankfully it wasn't broken, but it still hurt) as he looked somewhat wearily at Amaya and Sato. The girl looked wary and Sato was panting heavily, obviously still disturbed by the genjutsu. _'Just two more...I can do this_,' Hiashi reassured himself silently. _'I can __**definately **__do this_...' Intaking a breath, Hiashi silently focused on the two as they watched him cautiously, ready to strike. He noticed Sato's hand very slowly moving back towards his shuriken pouch. 'Just _one swift move and he'll be down...then it will only be me and that bitch_...' With a shaky breath, Hiashi ignored the pain in his leg and he pounced like a tiger after his prey. He had a kunai in hand as he lept over to Sato, seemingly in slow motion. Sato managed to throw two kunai, both lodging in his torso (it was an innevitable blow he knew he had to take in order to win). Hiashi slashed Sato's torso deeply from his right shoulder to his left hip, Sato crying out in pain. Unfortunately, Hiashi's weakened leg buckled on him as soon as he put weight on it and he grabbed onto Sato for support, sending them both tumbling to the soft rain-soaked ground. Luckily, Sato was on bottom, so he took the shock of the fall, the breath knocked from his lungs. Again, Hiashi wasn't quite so lucky, the shuriken lodging further into his body and even piercing Sato a little. Hiashi grit his teeth, pushing off of Sato, vaugely aware of Amaya's screeching. (He couldn't hear her words, everything blurring together in his mind, eyes, and ears.) The shuriken exited Sato and Hiashi was quick to pull them out of his own body, throwing them aside as Sato started to come to again, the wind knocked from his lungs.

"...Y...Y-You...," Sato heaved out a heavy breath, Hiashi glaring at the man. Lightning flashed, making his glare more apparent, before Hiashi took advantage of the situation and brought his hand down to Sato's pressure point on his neck, instantly knocking him out.

"Yes, _me_," Hiashi seethed as he grunted and managed to roll off of him and get to his hands and knees. "Only one left..."

"You bastard!," Amaya hissed from behind him, Hiashi grunting as she kicked him particularly hard and sent him sprawling a few feet away. _'Damn_...,' he thought silently, sitting up slowly and eyeing the slowly approaching woman. '_I'm so tired now...and my leg hurts...I don't know if I can even get up...not to mention the bloodloss_...' He started trying to get up again, a determined look on his face. Amaya just kicked him again, pushing him forcefully back on his back and slamming a foot down on his chest. He gave a great heave and a cough, struggling to breathe properly again. "You didn't think I'd just going to let you walk away from this, do you?" A disgustingly sick and twisted smile crossed her face as Hiashi inwardly flinched at her tone.

"N-No," he managed to wheeze as she lowered herself so that she was straddling him, her hips nearly hugging his. He growled, repulsed and somewhat in shock of what _might _be about to happen... She lowered herself to sit on his groin, the man letting out a grunt of discomfort.

"Good...because I'm going to punish you," she replied huskily, the sky lighting with another lightning bolt. Hiashi could clearly see the malicious intent in her eyes, a vile smirk lifting her lips. Another bolt lit the night, a shuddering of the earth coming with it as the thunder rolled and shook him from the inside out. The storm was getting worse... He saw a silver gleam in the last flash, the man finding out just what it was a moment later as a searing pain entered his chest. He cried out in pain, the somewhat dull kunai cutting into him again and again. '_This is hell_,' Hiashi rasped inwardly, his body riddled with pain with every cut she made. '_A purgatory of pain...if I pass out, though...I might not live_...' He struggled to keep his eyes open, watching the flashes of lightning light her dark purple hair up, the hair clinging to her her body and face as she drove the kunai into him again and again, slowly and painfully. _'I wonder...if this is how Shibi felt_...' His eyes slowly widened as Shibi entered his mind, all of the memories he had of the man flashing through his mind. _'Shibi...she caused him so much pain...__**this **__was why I planned this attack to begin with...I can't give up...not yet...I still have one enemy...and she won't expect a sudden attack...' _Looking down at Amaya, he watched her body shake as she laughed wickedly, holding the kunai up higher this time than she _had _been. Taking a breath, Hiashi decided on a course of action. As her hands started to descend with the blade, he turned to the side, surprising her as his hands wound around her thin neck. He barely flinched as her kunai dug into his tender belly from his navel to his right side and on down to his back, the blade digging deeper than before.

"_I'm_ not the one that needs punishing," he whispered softly in her ear, his voice husky from his pain. He felt her breath hitch in her throat, fear winding the muscles in her neck tightly. "But you're lucky I don't have enough energy to deal with you the way I had planned to..._this _will simply have to suffice." In a quick movement that stunned them _both _a little, Hiashi had her on her back and he had wrapped his hands tightly around her throat. She squirmed and made noises of pain and suffocation, Hiashi taking a dark delight in the sound as he carefully trained his eyes on hers, her deep purple eyes widened in fright. Her kunai, forgotten in the sudden position change, was pushed away to where she couldn't reach it, though she still tried to reach for it futilly. His grip tightened. She squirmed pitifully, the man wincing a bit as she raised her hand and heated the area around them signifigantly, attempting to heat the water as to scald him. His grip tightened a bit more and her hands went to his, attempting to remove them. When she realized she couldn't remove his hands, her eyes glassy, she started weakly trying to push him away. "If I hear of you or any of your little friends doing this to _anyone _ever again...I will bring this to the Hokage's attention and you will be _severely _punished. Do you understand me?" He watched her gurgle and nod somewhat, her consciousness fading. That was all he needed. Hiashi waited until she was fully gone before letting go, leaving her alive, like the rest, but injured well enough. "Let's see...I think...they are in here..." Hiashi quickly set to searching her pouches, finding the twenty two pictures of Shibi in her kunai pouch. He counted them up to make sure. Stuffing the pictures into his haori, he stood and stumbled off in the direction of the Aburame mansion, hoping upon hope that he didn't do all of that in vain and that he wasn't too late...

**- Current Time -**

"From there, I made it to the Aburame mansion and made a fool of myself when Shibi brought me inside," Hiashi finished his story, a very subtle flush heating his cheeks. He didn't like talking about _that _part...

"Hn...," Neji hummed softly, both he and Hinata shocked at the battle and the somewhat bland ending. They both understood that he didn't want to talk about it, so neither of them pushed him to talk about it. "He was lucid enough to take care of you?"

"Yes...I think I scared him back into reality," Hiashi inclined his head with a hint of dark amusement in his voice. "He bandaged my wounds and we talked and resolved our fight before throwing the pictures into the flames of his fireplace. I don't remember _everything _because I kept fading in and out of consciousness...but that is what I _can _remember." They nodded understandingly, both having a newfound respect for both Hiashi and Shibi. A sudden rapping on the door got their attention. "Come in." Hinata was mildly shocked when Ibiki opened the door a little and stuck his head into the room.

"Hinata," Ibiki inclined his head. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling alright," Hinata bobbed her head politely at the man before resting it back against her hospital bed again. "The morphine is keeping me from feeling pain, so I only feel a little funny in my head."

"That's good to hear," he replied with a hint of amusement in his voice, a small chuckle making it past his lips. "Morphine is strong stuff..." She could only nod in agreement. He looked back at Hiashi, his eyes holding a serious gleam despite the smile on his face. "Can we speak outside a moment, Hiashi?"

"Yes...of course," Hiashi inclined his head and stood. "I will see you later, Hinata."

"Okay, father," Hinata replied somewhat cheerfully as he gently patted her head and walked out, shutting the door behind him. Hinata looked back at Neji, the man looking a little worried. "Do you know why Ibiki-san is here, Neji-kun?" She noticed him hesitate a moment before he responded.

"He came to...talk with Hanabi," Neji revealed slowly. "Hiashi-sama brought him here to speak with Hanabi..." Hinata could hear the unsaid words loud and clear. '_He has mentally tortured Hanabi_.' (No one brought Ibiki in to talk with a rowdy, murderous in-patient for nothing...)

"I...see...," Hinata replied softly, worry creasing her brow. Yes, she thought her sister deserved _some _kind of punishment for her actions that morning...but _torture_? She felt it was a little much... "I hope she's alright..."

"She will be," Neji reassured her immediately. "Even if he _has_..._talked _to her, I don't imagine he would have done much to hurt her. ...She's too stubborn."

"Mnn," Hinata nodded, feeling a little bit better about it. "I hope you're right, Neji-kun, I hope you're right."

"How did it go?," Hiashi asked the dreaded question as Ibiki leaned back against the wall opposite to Hinata's room.

"Fairly well," Ibiki surprised him. "She was resistant at first, but it didn't last long. I broke her down and made her understand what she had done was wrong. I got into her mind...and it's _really _a mess...but...she's on the right path now. She understands that she can no longer be clan leader, that it's out of her grasp now. She knows what she did was wrong and I believe that she will soon ask for forgiveness and repent for what she has done. It will take a little time, and she needs to set new goals, but all in all, I think she did well." Hiashi inclined his head slowly as he let out a breath of relief. Ibiki did what he could never seem to do- he broke Hanabi down and got her on the right path from the dangerous one she strayed down.

"Thank you so much, Ibiki...I really appreciate this," Hiashi spoke softly, meaningfully.

"No problem," Ibiki gave a small grin. "What are friends for?" Hiashi grinned back at him. "I _do _have one piece of advice for you before I leave, though."

"Hm?," Hiashi hummed silently in question, showing he was attentive.

"You should go and see her tomorrow, allowing her to rest and think tonight, and talk with her about options for her future," Ibiki spoke, surprising Hiashi a little. "Becoming clan leader was all she ever strove for- it was the _only _thing she ever wanted and it was the _only _thing that kept her going. It was her reason for living..." Hiashi nodded a little to that, letting out a soft breath as a bit of heaviness came back to his heart. His daughter felt the reason for her existance fade away...he had felt the same for a while after Tsunata passed away... It wasn't a pleasant feeling. "If you can just get her to see that there are other things that she can do, inside _or _outside of the clan, I think she'll be alright."

"Hn," Hiashi hummed and nodded in agreement to that. He would definately work with her on that and get her on a path to something new that she would want to do. "Thank you, Ibiki, I'll be sure to speak with her about that tomorrow."

"Hm," Ibiki hummed and nodded with a small smile. "See you later." He held out his hand to Hiashi.

"Yes...see you later," Hiashi nodded, extending his hand to Ibiki, the two shaking hands firmly, amiably. "Do you need me to show you the way out?"

"No, I still remember my way out from here- I've been here a good number of times, afterall," Ibiki smiled, amusement dancing in his eyes. Hiashi snorted lightly, knowing he was picking at him a little for all the times he got into scraps in town (and when he was reckless on missions) and Ibiki would come visit him there when he was injured. Ibiki only chuckled as they released one another's hands and he started to walk away, hand waving up so Hiashi could see as he turned the corner.

"Ass," Hiashi insulted him when he was out of ear-shot, the man softly 'hmph'ing and heading back to his office to get more paperwork done. It never seemed to end...

"Well...I'm going to go now, I've got some things to get done before I go to bed tonight," Neji announced, rising from his chair by Hinata's bed. _'Coming up with another plan to propose to Ten Ten, for one_,' he thought wearily. '_I don't want it to be lame...she'd never forgive me if it was...'_

"Alright," Hinata nodded and yawned, a hand to her lips.

"You need to get some rest," Neji chided lightly, getting a sleepy smile from the girl. "You have a big day tomorrow, so make sure you get plenty of sleep."

"Okay," Hinata nodded drowsily as she got her bed back to a laying position. "See you tomorrow, Neji-kun."

"See you tomorrow," Neji inclined his head to her as he left, shutting the light out as he exited the room. '_I have absolutely no idea what to do_...,' he thought despairingly as he sighed and headed off towards his room. '_Maybe I'll just brainstorm the next few days and let Ten Ten have her space. That will give us both the time we need, and hopefully I can come up with something good before the week is up_.' Plan made, Neji went back to his room for the night.

Back the Aburame mansion, Shibi and Shino finished their dinner and ate it as they talked some about events passed and events to come, both going to bed a few hours after that.

They had no idea what was in store for them the next day...or how crazy things would get.

None of them had a clue...

**- End Chapter 5 Part 1 -**

- Sorry again that this came out a little late... Life threw me some curveballs..._and _I came up with another good Shino x Hinata story idea that I've been working on turning into a story. I've about decided it's going to be _really _long chapters, and it may be only two or three chapters long, the way I'm doing it. I really like the concept and all and I've been working hard on it, so I'm hoping to get the first chapter out by my next update. :P

- If you'll notice, Amaya's special attack is a scalding attack...I kind of got the idea from Pokemon Black and White **(I DO NOT OWN IT)**. lol. XD My brother bought both a while back and gave me the Black version (he's the awesomest brother _ever_). The 'scald' attack is both one of my favorite (when I use it) and least favorite (when it's used against me) moves. So...I thought I would incorporate it in here somehow. XP (Even though it wasn't _really _used...you know she has the attack. She _could _possibly be in the plot line for a later appearance...)

- Another little thing I wanted to add was that I edited out Hanabi's torture sessions for a reason...okay, maybe two reasons. One- I couldn't get the dialog right. It just kept coming out wrong... Two- I wasn't cruel enough with the mental torture, so Hanabi came out differently than I had wanted her to. I wanted her to be totally and utterly broken...not bitterly hurt and back to vindictive... You'll see why in a later chapter. -Insert somewhat manaical grin here-

- Belated Happy Valentine's Day! Belated Happy Single's Awareness day for those without a signifigant other! (One of my old friends made that up and it just stuck. lol. We single people get to party, too! XP )

- Thanks for reading!

- Please Review!

- For all those who are interested, I will give a brief description of my new story in the making. It will be called 'The Unexpected'. (Unless I come up with something else that sounds better...) It starts with a scene that follows Shino, who has become an Anbu double agent. He's on one of his double agent missions, and he's been on it for about half a year. (He's getting tired of it, only just _then _having won his crime boss's trust.) He goes in and is finally able to meet his real boss, Makenshi, having been talking and working with one of Makenshi's men, Yami. They meet, talk, and Shino officially joins them with a new given code name..._and _he learns of his boss's plot. (He hadn't been let in on it before then because they didn't trust him.) It involves the Hyuuga heiresses from the five nations, and he worries for them...but for Hinata most of all- it seems most likely that _she _will be Makenshi's target. (Not to mention the fact that Shino has already admitted to himself that he loves her...though he know it can never be because of their different Kekkei Genkai.) Shino's job is to eliminate Makenshi and all of his men (he has _many_)...but can he do it without raising alarm so he can take them out one on one until he's beaten them all? Can he do it before Hinata or any of the other heiresses are involved?

In the meanwhile, Hinata has made it to the rank of Jounin and all seems well for her...until she gets back from a mission. She goes home, as she normally does, and reports in to her father...who is in a meeting with a mysterious Hyuuga named Shinji from a small Hyuuga Compound in the Snow. Hiashi explains that their Compound dwindled in number, so they thought it best for them to go their seperate ways. Shinji went down a route of business, the man an ally to all five ninja nations. He occasionally still takes on a few missions from each nation and his last made him rethink how he was living his life...he had almost died. Shinji came to the realization that he wanted to settle down with a wife and have children...and Hinata happened to be his choice after coming in contact with Hiashi. Without telling Hinata, Hiashi spoke with Shinji by letter until he made the decision _for _her- she was going to marry and go live with Shinji in the Land of Snow. In a week. All the preparations have already been made, all the guests invited...there was no way she could get out of it or argue. Needless to say, Hinata isn't happy about it (especially since she had recently come to terms with her feelings for Shino- she loved him)...but there's nothing she can do at this point... Going through with the wedding and saying her goodbyes (the girl having mixed feelings about Shino not being there), Hinata goes off to live with the odd but kind Shinji.

What will happen from that point? Seperating herself from her clan unknowingly made Hinata an easy target...will Makenshi use that to his advantage? Can Shino kill him before he can strike? What about Makenshi's odd dissappearances from his crime organization? Where does he go? And Shinji seems to have a dark secret of his own...

Look for my first chapter to find out!


	7. Wedding Plans and a Wave of Trouble

**Arranged Marriage**

**Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream**

**Pairing: Shino x Hinta (From Naruto)**

**A Quick Note**:

- I know you all will be happy to know that Hinata and Shino get back together in this chapter! (It's another meeting, but we're getting closer to _actual _dating! Yay!)

- I realized from the beginning that my pacing of the story has been that of a snail... (Five chapters now- seven if you include the two halves of the halved chapters- and it's only been three days (including the day in this chapter). That's pretty slow...) But! From the next chapter on, the pace is going to be a little faster. After this chapter, I plan to have (at least) a week covered...then maybe another week or two in the next chapter. It all depends on what I plan to do from there...I'm not entirely sure yet. I have ideas, I just need to find a cohesive way to incorporate them all together. (And _boy _do I have some _interesting _things planned...as I heard in _'How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days', _'Drama, drama, drama!'. lol.)

- I am _so _sorry this came out so late... I kind of...accidentally cracked my laptop screen. Yeah...not good. It took a while to find a solution, but my dad found an old computer screen from an old computer that doesn't work anymore and it works! (I plug it into my laptop and the other screen displays my laptop screen, which I can now only see a sliver of, with no issues or anything. The crazy multi-colored stripes, white, and black marks across my laptop screen aren't shown on the other screen! It's awesome!) So...I finished the chapter and I'm only having some issues with how to get this posted since I can't lug the computer screen to the library with me and I can't see crap on my laptop now- I can't even log into the computer anymore without the other screen. My brother has a laptop, but it overheats _very _easily (along with a good few other problems) and it can't come off charge more than five minutes...which is about what it takes to to get to Fanfiction and post a chapter. (I _might _be able to get him to lend it to me with the charger...but, even then, it's a stretch. Even on charge it overheats pretty easily...) My dad has a laptop...but he doesn't let anyone on it because we kind of accidentally crashed his last one...not sure _how_... Anyway...I'm working on finding a way to get this out, so don't worry! Where there's a will, there's a way!

- Nevermind...the screen won't work now. (It only lasted three days...and I didn't work much on the story at _all_...) My brother's letting me use his computer in short bursts to get the story written. Maybe he can let me borrow it another day to get this uploaded onto the internet...

- Sorry about this, guys. I ate my words when I said I wouldn't leave it for months and not post a chapter...but I _have _been working on it. I think I still may be able to get a chapter out a month using my brother's computer if I work late at night. (The chapters may be smaller, though...) It does a lot better than during the day- my brother and my mom like using this computer and playing games on it. (And it's my brother's computer; he's entitled to use it whenever and wherever...I feel bad for borrowing it so much, but I don't have any choice if I want to get this done. Nothing else I tried worked- I tried a _lot _of stuff- and this was the only method that worked.)

-I apologize if my spelling isn't as good this time. I did a good deal of this late at night when I was tired and prone to making errors and there isn't a Word program on here that I can use to spellcheck with. I'm not even going to attempt to spellcheck on the site because I don't know if I'll have the time. I finished a good chunk of this the night before I posted this and I was exhausted...

**A Special Thanks to**: paranoidbychoice, Clumsy0132, KayseeRP, dragonick711, Luana LS, and Susan Drakian for reviewing! Thanks guys!

- **paranoidbychoice **- A good kind of wow, I hope. lol.

- **Clumsy0132 **- lol. Thank you very much! :P

I'm glad! I'm hoping to have both out soon! Oh, yes, I can't wait, either! XD I have a bunch of ideas jotted down for the dates already, and I can't wait to write them in!

- **KayseeRP **- lol. Thank ya! I tend to be a little on the crazy side with my stories, at times. I like writing crazy/angsty/sad/intense/disturbing type things to bring people together or to tear them apart... (I think I'm getting a bit sadistic... :/ )

I'll have it out ASAP! :D

- **dragonick711 **- I'm glad you like it! XD I'm glad- that's what I was going for in thinking up and writing that chapter. I was trying to do something totally unexpected that shocked everyone and benefitted the story in a big way. (Shibi and Hiashi's friendship in this case.)

Thank you! This is my first time to do an Anbu Shino, so I hope I do alright...

I'll get the update out ASAP, and the new story chapter, too! :D

- **Luana LS **- You're welcome. :D Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it. I'm sorry about the wait, but it's out now! They interact in this chapter, and they will be dating within the next week or two in the story, depending on how some of the events play out.

Sorry about the lack of chapters. As I explained above, my laptop screen cracked and it took a while to come up with a solution. Umm...the link isn't working. Can you post another link? I'll get to it ASAP. :)

- **Susan Drakian **- Thank you very much! I like playing with the emotions of the characters...it's fun and it makes for good stories most of the time.

**Disclaimer**:

Why don't I own Naruto and the characters, you say?

Because Masashi Kishimoto owns them.

(I also do not own the film _'How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days' _or any of the actors/actressess/characters involved in it, nor Twilight or any of the actors/actresses/characters in _that _one. There's kind of a reference way down in the chapter with the wedding stuff. You'll understand once you see it, no matter if you've seen/read the series or not.)

**Arranged Marriage**

**Chapter 5 Part 2 - Wedding Plans and Clan Construction**

"Are you _sure _you're alright with doing this?," Neji asked hesitantly as he gazed at his injured cousin warily.

"Yes, I'm sure, Neji-kun," Hinata smiled a little at her slightly elder cousin with a small sweat drop on her brow. That was the _third _time he had asked her that...not without good reason, of course. After she had awoken that morning and had a good breakfast (the morphine was stopped at midnight), she had made the decision to go back to her room. It wasn't the smartest idea she'd ever had- the pain she was feeling was excrutiating (at times) without the morphine- but she didn't need tending to every few hours...and she was tired of being tended to. She wanted fresh air and to be in her room again. She was well enough to be there, so her father had granted her wish after speaking with her doctor and making sure it would be alright. She was restricted to her room since she wasn't supposed to walk around a lot (because of her wounds), but she didn't mind that. A Hyuuga servant would deliver her meals at meal time (an order made by her father), and she had her own bathroom attached to her room, so she didn't need to leave her room for anything now.

Neji had been kind enough to retrieve some of her normal clothes- a large lavender sleep shirt and slightly baggy white pants (as not to aggitate her injuries)- a while ago and she had dressed in them (while he went out) and waited for the nurse retrieve him (he had gone off to see if he could talk to Hanabi, but he hadn't been able to) to help her get back to her room. Since she only had one leg injury, she was sure that she would be alright...but her father and the doctor both wanted someone to go with her to make sure she didn't further harm herself or move too fast and tear one of her wounds open. "My room isn't terribly far from here and I'll be cooped up there a while...but it's better than being cooped up in the hospital all day." Hinata noticed that Neji's head slightly tilted to the side and he made a soft noise that she knew meant that he agreed (_no one _they knew liked to stay in the hospital- they got out as soon as they could), but at the same time she knew that he thought that she should stay. (If for nothing else, for observational reasons.) Time to turn the topic. "Can you please help me to my room, Neji-kun?" She limped forwards a step and he quickly stepped to her right side, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her arm up and around his neck.

"Don't be in such a hurry, Hinata," he chided lightly, helping anchor the weight off of her injured leg. "You'll be back by nightfall if you continue to move even at a _normal _rate...you need to slow down some."

"Mnn," Hinata hummed softly and nodded somewhat reluctantly, knowing that he was right. "Sorry, Neji-kun."

"Don't apologize," he waved off, helping her to the door. "Just...be careful, alright?"

"Okay," Hinata agreed easily with a small smile as he helped her out of the door, shutting it behind them. Neji slowly helped her down the hallways of the hospital and into the winding corridors of the Hyuuga Compound. Hinata was grateful for Neji's help- she wouldn't have been able to manage by herself, she understood that fully now. But...looking up at him, she noticed that he seemed deep in thought...almost troubled. "Neji-kun...is something bothering you?"

"Hm...? Oh...," Neji spoke softly, looking down at her. She was a half a head or so shorter than him, so she always felt...well..._short _next to him. "Well..." He hesitated. Hinata was surprised, to say the least. "No, it's nothing." '_He's lying_,' was her immediate thought.

"Something _is _bothering you," Hinata pointed out.

"I don't want to stress you more in your current condition," Neji responded evasively. Her small pink lips twisted down into a frown. He was avoiding answering her. Now she was worrying even more about him- it had to be something _really _bad for him to evade her so.

"You're worrying me more by not answering my question," Hinata voiced aloud, Neji pausing in step before slowly continuing again with a sigh.

"You're getting stubborn," he shot back with a chiding look that made her want to look away and drop it...but she didn't. She held his gaze with a light warming of her cheeks.

"That may be...but, you know...you...you can talk to me about anything, Neji-kun," Hinata gently coaxed. "I just want to know what's wrong... It's worrying me because whatever this _is_, it's worrying you a _lot_." He let out another soft sigh and moved his gaze to the walkway ahead.

"Alright...," Neji sighed softly. "I'm worried about _you_, but...I'm also worried about Hanabi. I still haven't been able to see her...and I fear for her mental condition. She's a strong girl...but...she may be unstable. On top of that...I realized that...in a few weeks, at the least...well...you know what she will have to do...don't you?" His serious white gaze caught Hinata's white-lavender eyes and she felt something in her faulter. She felt like she had forgotten something _very _important that she _should _have remembered...

"Umm...," Hinata replied softly, slowly. After a moment, she could only shake her head in response, unable to come up with an answer to his question.

"You haven't thought about it until now," Neji supplied. She could only nod once, somewhat embarrassed that she didn't know what he was talking about. "It's alright...you've had a lot to think about the last couple of days. Here..." He stopped at her room door and slid it open, helping her inside. Hinata idly noticed that her bedding had been replaced and there were no signs that a struggle had ever occured...and there were no blood stains anywhere, either. Neji slid the door shut behind them and he helped her to her bed, Hinata sitting on it with a soft sigh of relief. "But...your father...he said...that the curse mark will be removed from my forehead. I'm grateful for it, but..." He looked away and Hinata's eyes widened in realization. Why hadn't she thought of this sooner?! Neji would be considered of the Main Line and free (and Hinata was _very _happy for him, he deserved this after the hard life he had lived)...but Hanabi...she would fall to the Branch house. Hinata would be outside of the clan, so _she _didn't have anything to worry about...but Hanabi... "She will have to undergo the ceremony, pledging her loyalty to me...and then I will have to bear witness as they place the curse mark on her forehead." He swallowed. Hard. She knew he didn't want to watch that happen- he had undergone it, himself, when he was a child and it had scarred him horribly in more ways than one...but what could possibly be done at this point? She was at a complete loss as to what to say or do... "I want to see her before then... I know she probably won't welcome my presence and she probably won't go for what I have to say, but I _have _to try..."

"What...what are you planning to tell her?," Hinata asked quietly.

"I want to ask her to leave the clan," Neji spoke frankly, Hinata's eyes widening as his white orbs met her own. "So she doesn't have to demean herself and suffer unnecissarily. I know it will probably be wasted time on my part, she's too full of Hyuuga pride, but I have to do _something_..." Hinata nodded slowly, her mind filling with thoughts on the matter and Hyuuga laws, the pain (throbbing in the worst of her wounds and soreness in the others) being shoved into the very back of her mind. _'I have to help him...and Hanabi...__**somehow**_...,' Hinata thought silently, vowing to do so. '_If she leaves, I'll rarely get to see Hanabi ever again...not that we had the __**best **__relationship in the world...but I still don't want to see her banned from the Compound. ...I also don't want to see her branded, either...if only...if only __**I **__could do something_...' She thought about it a long moment before something came to her. Her eyes slowly lit up as something clicked deep within her mind- she remembered something she had read in her father's copy of the Hyuuga Law book.

"Neji-kun...I need you to take me to father's study," Hinata spoke up suddenly, seeming to startle the man a little.

"I can't do that," Neji frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You're not supposed to leave the room."

"Ahh...I forgot...," Hinata flushed a little, her blush deepening a shade when Neji's brow rose then furrowed suspiciously. Before he could speak again, she spoke up. "Can you do me a favor instead, then?"

"...I suppose I could," Neji inclined his head slowly. "What do you need?"

"I need you to get one of my father's books, the copy of Hyuuga Law," Hinata revealed, the man blinking at her in surprise. "I think...I might be able to stop her branding, if only for a short while, until we can come up with something that will stop it...possibly even permanantly." Neji's eyes widened at that.

"You can...you can stop the Main House from branding the Branch House with the curse mark?," Neji asked softly, shocked that it could have been stopped, but no one seemed to be stopping it. (Then again, he wasn't _so _shocked- they were a traditional clan that stuck to their old traditions and such with fierocity...it had to be near to impossible to change clan laws, if the elders of the clan had anything to say about it...)

"I'm not sure," Hinata admitted earnestly. She didn't want to get his hopes up in case she was unable to. "But...I remember reading something on it a while back in father's book, right before I had to go on a mission. ...He had made some side notes to it, as though he had once tried to abolish it..." Neji was more than surprised at that, Hinata's right hand lifting to her lips thoughtfully. "If I have that book again, I think I will be able to figure something out. I can't promise that I will be able to do anything...but I'm going to try." He slowly nodded, the smallest of smiles crossing his lips.

"Thank you, Hinata...," Neji spoke softly, surprising her a bit. '_If she could have...I know she would have prevented my own branding_...,' he thought silently as she blinked and blushed a shade darker, smiling a small smile of her own for him. He was no longer naieve and set in his hatred and anger in the darkness. No...after his uncle had told him _everything _about that night that his father died (Hiashi told him about it on the day that Neji had nearly killed Hinata in the Chuunin Exams), Neji understood _everything_. It took him a while to digest it all and forgive them for what had happened (it really wasn't their fault, but it took him a little while to get that fact into his mind after believing that they were the ones at fault for so long), but he moved past it and re-connected with his family. He thought that Hinata was just being cruel when they were younger (first wanting a tattoo like his, then wanting to remove it when she learned what it meant and what he went through for it- she had attempted to find ways to remove it several times since then, attempting to help him- he had thought that she was making fun of him when she went looking for ways to remove it, that she wasn't _really _trying to look or help him), but she was only trying to be kind. She was sincere...she had _always _been sincere. _'This means a lot to me, and I'm sure it will mean a lot to Hanabi, as well_...' Hanabi knew her sister was kind...even if she thought that was weakness. Now, in her own moment of weakness, Neji knew Hanabi would appreciate this...and maybe even change. One could only hope. "I will return shortly with the book." With an incline of his head, Neji was out the door and heading for Hiashi's study.

"Mnn," Hinata hummed and nodded as he went, watching the shoji screen shut behind him. _'I couldn't help Neji-kun...but maybe...maybe I can help Hanabi_,' Hinata thought hopefully, feeling a small surge of pain course through her body as she moved wrong. She winced and breathed out a little sound of pain, touching her right hand to her injured shoulder. "First I need to lay back and relax...then I think I'll be better able to help..." Turning and propping her three pillows up, Hinata scooted back and layed against them so she was sitting in an upright position, held in place by the comfortable pillows. "There..." She sighed contentedly, allowing her body to relax as she moved her legs up onto the bed, being especially careful with her right leg as she did so. Now she just had to wait for Neji to return...

A large hand rapped against a shoji screen door, the owner of the hand drawing it back after hearing a voiced approval to come inside. The man slid open the door, the man inside the door looking up at him with a hint of curiosity in his white gaze.

"You're early for the meeting..._very _early," Hiashi spoke, looking at his guest with a raised brow. "Is something wrong, Shibi?"

"No, not at all," Shibi shook his head, smiling a little within his coat. "I just remembered something I wanted to talk to you about...that's all."

"Hm," Hiashi inclined his head, but the curiosity remained in his eyes. He motioned for Shibi to enter, and he started to...before Hiashi's eyes shifted to someone behind him, puzzlement in his gaze as he looked at the person. "Neji?" Shibi looked back as Neji caught Hiashi's gaze.

"I apologize if I am disturbing something," Neji bowed immediately, surprising both men in the room. "I was just running an errand for Hinata-san..."

"Already?," Hiashi asked with a light frown. "Did she forget something in the hospital room?"

"Hinata isn't in the hospital?," Shibi asked, his voice laced with his surprise.

"No...she insisted on going back to her room," Hiashi informed him, Shibi's brow raising slightly. "After confirming that it would be alright with her doctor, I allowed it. He made sure her blood count was up near to normal first- it was close- and he made sure that none of her injuries were festering or anything...and they weren't. So, I let her go back with one restriction- she can't leave her room until her wounds are sufficiently healed. She has her own private bathroom and I have already informed the servants, so they will bring her meals to her room for her."

"I see...is she still on her morphine, at least?," Shibi asked.

"No...they took her off of it sometime early this morning," Hiashi replied, watching Shibi's brows rise again. "Neji? Did she forget something?"

"Oh...no, sir," Neji shook his head, standing at full height again, he noticed. "She wanted me to ask you for a book that is located in your study."

"Hn? A book?," Hiashi asked in surprise. She had books in her room...why would she want one of his? His were mainly Hyuuga history, records, and law books...

"Yes...she wants your Hyuuga Law book," Neji spoke slowly, Hiashi's brow furrowing a little.

"For what, might I ask?," Hiashi asked with a little frown tugging at his lips again. '_Is she trying to get out of the marriage?,' _Hiashi thought sourly, wondering what in the world she could be up to. _'No...__**that **__can't be it...' _Neji hesitated before he managed to answer his uncle.

"She wants to help Hanabi," Neji spoke softly, both men surprised and even more puzzled. _That _wasn't what Hiashi was expecting... "...So she doesn't have to recieve the Branch House brand." He touched his hand to his forehead protector gingerly, knowing his own curse mark lie beneath it. Hiashi understood immediately, sitting back a little on his silk pillow at his low-to-the-ground traditional meeting table.

"I didn't think she would think of that so early on...," Hiashi admitted aloud, his voice somewhat soft, thoughtful. Neji felt a little guilty for telling her about it and worrying her. "I searched for a loophole, myself, when your father was branded...then again when you were born." Neji's eyes widened as Hiashi stood up and walked the short distance to his bookcase, fingering through the books with ease before he found the right one. "I never could find a solution, but she is welcome to look and try." He pulled a large book from the shelf, turning it over in his hands as he turned back to Neji. "Here..." He walked over towards the door, book held out. He completely missed the sympathetic and somewhat softened gaze Shibi held...though he probably wouldn't have been able to _really _see it either way... Neji took the book with a bit of surprise...it was heavier than it looked.

"Thank you, Hiashi-san-," Neji started and stopped, Hiashi interrupting.

"It's fine," Hiashi interrupted a bit gruffly, his white orbs locking on Neji's. "But tell Hinata...even if she _does _find a possible way to stop this, she will also have to battle the elders on it. They are stubborn old goats, and they'll fight _anyone _on _anything_. It's only a matter of time before they find out of her engagement to Shino and fight with me over _that_, as well..." He frowned lightly, determination gleaming in his eyes. (The elders of the Hyuuga clan are the ones that deal with the major issues of the clan, including law changes and _they _are the ones that have to approve arranged marriages and such with the clan leaders, heirs, and the main branches.)

"I will, but...hold on a minute...the elders don't know about their engagement?," Neji asked, shaken to the core. He was shocked that his uncle fought so hard for him and his father...and he was shocked that the elders didn't know yet... "Why...why did you hide that from them? I figured that this was planned and already taken up with them..."

"Planned? Yes. Taken up with the elders? No," Hiashi replied somewhat nonchalontly.

"I thought this was already discussed, as well," Shibi spoke up, frowning within his coat as he caught the Hyuuga's attention. "Hiashi..."

"Don't worry, Shibi," Hiashi waved off. "Hinata is still _my _daughter. They can't say too much on this one- finding her a suitable husband is _my _duty as her father and clan leader...as well as naming the next heir. If they don't like it, we can argue about it and I can show them the Law Book. They can't argue with _that_." A hint of a grin showed on the older Hyuuga's face, surprising both of them a bit. "And if they decide they want to change the laws, it takes five months- at the very least- to change the laws. Hinata will be wed by then and Neji will be appointed clan leader. This one will work out in _our _favor."

"Well...," Shibi spoke up after a brief pause. "You seem confident on the matter, so I will trust that things will work out how you've explained that they will."

"Hn," Neji just agreed with a hum as he nodded once in agreement. He didn't feel as confidently as Shibi did about the matter, but he would trust his uncle to take care of things as he said he would.

"Hm," Hiashi hummed happily with an incline of his head. "Now that _that _is settled..." He looked at Neji. "Is there anything else that Hinata needs?"

"Um...no sir," Neji spoke thoughtfully. Her only order was for him to get the book, and Hiashi and Shibi were about to have a meeting together, so... "I will take my leave now." Neji bowed politely to the two, getting inclines of the head from both of them, before he turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Now...what do you need, Shibi?," Hiashi asked, the two men turning to face one another again.

"Well...I want to ask this now that I know Hinata has been relocated- where is the meeting being held? And when?," Shibi asked, pushing his shades up his nose habitually.

"In Hinata's room...I made sure it was alright with her first, and it is, so the meeting will be held at two this afternoon, as planned," Hiashi promptly replied. "We will meet with the carpenter first, and then we will meet with the wedding planner at three."

"Alright," Shibi inclined his head, glad to hear that it was still at the same time, at least. Hopefully it wouldn't take the _whole _hour to talk with the carpenter...they were designing a _house _and choosing the furnishings, after all.

"What was it that you wanted to talk about?," Hiashi asked, white orbs meeting black shades.

"Well...I was out, so I thought I'd stop by and tell you that I've spoken with my nephew, Shinichiro, and he has agreed to take over the clan in Shino's place," Shibi informed the Hyuuga before him as he sat on the floor not far from Hiashi, his legs crossed in front of him.

"That's good," Hiashi inclined his head, happy that things were going well for his long-time friend. "How long will it take for you to write out and process the paperwork?"

"A week or two, if I'm lucky," Shibi sighed softly, Hiashi understanding his exasperation of the paperwork- he'd already done a boat load of paperwork on the wedding _alone_. "I've already got the basics mapped out, so it won't take me long to finish it up...the hard part is presenting it in front of the other head Aburame...and, _of course,_ inviting the other Aburame heads to the hidden HQ we have in between lands. I don't think I'll be opposed on this, but it's a pain to have to get them all together for this kind of issue...maybe they'll just let me get their approvals by carrier bird." (In the Aburame clan, they didn't so much depend on the elders for their clan issues. Mainly, it was the clan leaders and heirs of each land that dealt with the clan business. But...if an issue arose that caught an elder's attention, the elder would have senority over the issue and would have say in it and rights as to what would happen to resolve the issue.)

"They may," Hiashi inclined his head. "Send letters out and see."

"I think I'll do that when I go back, then," Shibi bobbed his head once somewhat enthusiastically.

"Good," Hiashi replied. "Was there anything else you needed?"

"Hm...," Shibi thought a moment, his hand idly rubbing his chin, pulling his high coat collar down in the process. Hiashi noticed the slight darkening of his face, indicating he had stubble. "I need to shave...but that's _not _what I wanted to talk about..."

"I would hope not," Hiashi shot back at him with a brow raised a bit and a very subtle hint of a smile teasing his lips. "That would be a rather boring conversation...there _is _something you wanted to talk about, isn't there?"

"Yes...I'm trying to remember what it was...," Shibi replied thoughtfully, continuing to rub at his stubbly chin. After a long moment of thought, Shibi seemed to have remembered what he was trying to remember. His head lifted and his hand stilled on his face. Hiashi waited patiently for him to go on. "Yesterday you asked why Shino and Kiba would fight over Hinata."

"Yes...and you motioned for me to drop the issue," Hiashi recalled slowly, nodding to his old friend. "What was that about?" Shibi grinned, surprising Hiashi a little as Shibi's hand moved back down to his leg, making his high collar pop back up.

"That, my friend...was because it is a touchy issue," Shibi announced, making Hiashi blink.

"And that means..?," Hiashi asked, silently demanding an explination.

"Kiba likes Hinata," Shibi spoke as plainly as he could, getting another blink of surprise from the Hyuuga. "A _lot_. Whether it is a crush or not remains to be seen, but...he beat Shino something aweful when he told him that they were getting married. That's a bit of an extreme action for just a crush, so I think he may actually love your daughter." Shibi witnessed Hiashi's rare show of shock that morphed quickly into disgust- his nose crinkled up and by the look on Hiashi's face, you would have thought he swallowed something particularly sour. Shibi couldn't help smirking at his friend...his face was priceless! "What's wrong, Hiashi? I thought you _liked _Kiba..." Shibi barely kept the laugh from his voice- he had to tease the Hyuuga a little.

"I like Kiba as an ally of my daughter," Hiashi snorted in return. "He has proven himself a worthy teammate and ally to Hinata...but never...I repeat, _never_...would I _ever _allow their joining."

"Now, Hiashi," Shibi chided teasingly. "Your adversity to the Inuzuka wouldn't have anything to do with that time when you were five, would it? When the White Fang summoned the ninken from his father's scroll for the first time?"

"That's not funny, Shibi," Hiashi growled, glaring at the secretly snickering man. "The largest mutt nearly took my entire arm off!"

"True...but that's no reason to hate the Inuzuka," Shibi shot back at him amusedly.

"I don't hate them...I just don't like the fact that they are so close with ninken," Hiashi corrected irritatedly. "Kakashi and his father included in that group. And before we get further off topic, I _do _have better reasons for not wanting Kiba to be with my daughter."

"And they are?," Shibi asked, raising a brow to show his curiosity.

"He is rude and crude and he isn't clan material," Hiashi listed off easily. "If they started their own clan together, it would fail, without a doubt. I would never allow him to become head of _this _clan, either. He's much too hot-headed."

"I hate to admit that I agree with that statement," Shibi inclined his head once slowly. "That boy is _quite _ill-tempered... You have to be patient and level-headed to run a clan...so, I admit, you _do _have a point."

"_Thank you_," Hiashi sighed somewhat contentedly. "I will conclude this conversation by saying that Kiba will have part as best man or groomsman in the wedding if he so desires, and I am only allowing him this because he is Hinata and Shino's dear friend and teammate. Now...I'm through talking about the Inuzuka. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Not really, no," Shibi chuckled softly, making Hiashi glare at him a little. "Oh! I forgot...I _did _tell Shino about our little skirmish with the clan-haters some years back. Of Amaya and Sato and _their _lot." Hiashi looked at his friend in surprise, the Aburame shifting a bit in discomfort of the topic.

"Hm...," Hiashi hummed softly with a small nod of acceptance. He was kind of glad Shibi told Shino...it made him feel better about telling Hinata and Neji about it. "I wound up telling Hinata and Neji about it, as well...and I think it was for the better. You were right."

"I tend to be right about something every now and again," Shibi joked softly with a small hidden smile on his face that Hiashi caught with a hint of his own amusement showing through on his face. "I'd better get back. I've got to tell Shino of the plan changes, I've got to make up and send out letters..._and _I've got to shave."

"Good luck with all of that," Hiashi replied with a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Except for the shaving part. If you needed luck for that...well...that's pretty pathetic." Shibi snorted half amusedly and half irritatedly as he got to his feet.

"Smartass," Shibi shot at him, making the smirk that had started to curl at Hiashi's lips broaden. "We'll be here a little before two."

"I'll see you then," Hiashi inclined his head, watching Shibi mimic his action before leaving and shutting the shoji screen door behind him. "This will certainly be interesting..." With a soft sigh Hiashi got back to his own duties, starting with the small mountain of paperwork on his desk.

"I'm back," Neji announced as he opened the shoji to Hinata's room.

"Neji-kun," Hinata greeted immediately as he stepped in and shut the door behind him. He blinked in surprise, seeing the girl awaiting him on her bed, propped up by pillows, a notebook and pen in hand. She had gotten up to get something already? She should have been resting! Neji frowned lightly, walking the book over to her.

"Here," Neji handed the book over to Hinata, helping her set it down on a safe place on her bed where she could flip it open and read it but so that it wouldn't fall off, either.

"Thank you, Neji-kun," Hinata sighed happily, flipping open her notebook and uncapping her pen.

"You're welcome," he replied softly, watching her start to sift through the pages of the Hyuuga Law book. "Your father asked me to tell you something."

"O-Oh?," Hinata asked softly, blinking as she turned her attention back to her cousin. "What's that?"

"He wanted me to tell you...that...even if you should find a loophole to keep Hanabi from being branded, you would have to fight the elders on the issue," Neji stated plainly as Hinata flinched a little. She had met the elders a couple of times before, so she knew they weren't very pleasant to deal with. "Your father tried to put an end to the curse marks long ago, but he was unsuccessful..."

"I...see...," Hinata spoke softly, her large white-lavender eyes softening and saddening. She gazed at the book a moment more before determination shone in her eyes once again and her face set with that same look. "Well...I've got to try. I want to do what I can, even if I'm not successful. ...At least I can say I tried." She looked up at Neji with a small, but bright, smile, making his own white eyes soften just a bit. _'She's __**really **__grown up_,' he thought idly.

"Mn," Neji hummed and nodded once in response. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No, thank you," Hinata replied politely.

"Alright," Neji inclined his head. "I'll be on my way, then. I've things to do. A servant should be in with your lunch in about an hour."

"Okay," Hinata nodded cheerfully. "Thank you. See you later."

"See you later," Neji repeated her polite greeting before exiting the room. The last image of her that he saw before he shut the door was a determined one, the girl flipping through pages of her book and starting to scribble notes down. _'She's a fast, hard worker...even injured_,' he noted silently as he shut the door and started to walk away. _'Perhaps there's hope for Hanabi yet_...'

"_You _again," Kiba growled softly as he opened the door to his mother's house, a certain Aburame that he didn't quite like right now at his doorstep. He _did _take some satisfaction in the fact that Shino's cheek was black and blue...but, despite that, he was still irritated that the Aburame was back so soon... Kiba had said that he needed time! A night was _not _enough time away from him!

"I apologize," Shino replied somewhat formally. "But I felt it was _my _duty to come and tell you this."

"What's _that_?," Kiba asked grumpily. He was still sore and irritable. His sister didn't help that much, either...

"Another reason why practice would have been cancelled today," Shino replied easily, shifting his shades up his nose as he usually did. He hesitated. Kiba waited...and waited...and then...

"Out with it!," Kiba nearly yelled, seeming to startle Shino some.

"Hinata is injured," Shino spoke as plainly as he could. Kiba backed down and blinked at him.

"What? What happened? Is she alright?," Kiba asked immediately. Shino held up his hand, stopping the onslaught of questioning that would've come spewing from his lips.

"Yes...it seems she's going to be just fine," Shino replied gently, seeing the Inuzuka sigh and deflate a bit more in relief. "As to what happened...Hanabi overheard her father speaking with a carpenter of our arranged marriage. She didn't stay to confirm everything with him or to listen in a bit more, she just assumed that Hinata would be clan leader and it enraged her."

"Oh shit...she attacked Hinata?," Kiba asked, swallowing thickly as a shiver raced down his spine. He knew Hinata could stand up to her little sister, but...Hanabi could do a _lot _of damage when she was angry... "Wait...I thought that would mean Hinata would be clan leader..._you_, too. Of _both _clans."

"Well..._we _thought so, too...at first," Shino inclined his head, hesitating a little in his explination. He frowned lightly to himself- it seemed he was finding himself hesitating more and more lately... "It turns out that we are going to be the leaders of a new clan, a clan joined by both the Hyuuga and the Aburame. Hanabi might have been clan leader of the Hyuuga, but because of her attack on her elder sister and a few other things, she has been eliminated from that position. Neji will wed and become clan leader."

"Huh...that's kind of fucked up," Kiba frowned, Shino raising a brow at his friend. '_I hope Hana isn't home_,' Shino thought idly, remembering her dislike of Kiba's cursing the day before. "But it's good, too, I guess. It's good that Hanabi doesn't get any of that stuff- she'd be a bad leader- and Neji gets to be leader. He's not such a bad guy anymore...I think he'd do pretty well at that, actually..." Kiba thought about it a moment, easily seeing the Hyuuga filling Hiashi's roll. He shook his head a little. "It's still fucked up that you two are starting your own clan, though. I mean...what the _hell_?!" Shino shifted uncomfortably, expecting a hand to come out and hit Kiba at any given moment.

"It is...odd...but we don't have any choice in it," Shino shrugged off. "Is Hana home?"

"Hm...?," Kiba hummed in question, seeming confused of the sudden topic change. "No...why?" His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Good...," Shino sighed softly, understanding now why Kiba was cursing as he usually did. "Because if she was home, I'm afraid you'd be plastered to the floor." Kiba snorted, getting what he was saying now.

"Yeah...she doesn't take it easy on _anyone_...not even on the injured...that witch," Kiba growled more to himself than to Shino, the Aburame lifting a brow in slight amusement. He knew Kiba actually _really _loved his sister and his sister _really _loved him, they were just irritated at one another. The sibling quarrels came and passed in time- he would only have to wait for this one to pass. "_That _aside...how is Hinata? I mean...how bad was she hurt? Did she teach that brat a lesson or two?"

"Hinata definately put her in her place, I hear," Shino nodded, feeling his pride for Hinata swell in his chest. Kiba's lips moved into a smirk.

"Good," Kiba bobbed his head once happily. "That's _one _good thing, at least." Shino nodded once to that.

"Yes...but...the damage Hanabi did was rather harsh, too," Shino admitted softly, remembering all of the bandages on Hinata. "If I recall correctly, the worst of it was the deep lacerations on her left hand and arm, a laceration on her right arm, a laceration on her right leg from her knee to her ankle, and a wound on her right shoulder, just below her collar bone. That wound below her collarbone pierced right through her shoulder to the other side... Thankfully, though, it did no major or lasting damage, but it _was _the cause of major bloodloss..." Kiba's eyes were widened as Shino looked back into the dark orbs of his friend. "The rest were shallow cuts, nicks, and bruises..."

"Daaammmnn," Kiba sighed out, rubbing his belly in a place where Shino knew a bruise resided. "She was...she was _really _badly hurt..._please _tell me she did major damage to her sister, beat her worse than Hanabi beat _her_."

"I'm not sure," Shino admitted softly. "I know that Hinata broke her nose, but I haven't heard any more than that."

"Damn...well...at least we know she did _some _damage to the little prick," Kiba shook his head, obviously displeased with the lack of information.

"Yes...and I know for certain that, against the odds, Hinata won the fight that Hanabi started," Shino clued him in a little more, the Inuzuka perking up a bit more at that. "If it makes you feel better, I also know that Hanabi is being held against her will in a hospital bed. She's strapped down by chakra-sealing restraints, so she couldn't escape if she wanted to."

"Good," Kiba nodded, smirking a bit at the thought of the unruly girl being bound against her will. "Serves her right!"

"Indeed," Shino agreed with an incline of his head. Before any more could be said, a Kikkaichu landed on Shino's shoulder, surprising them both a little. It wasn't Shino's and they both knew it instantly. It buzzed a moment before Shino inclined his head. "Tell him I will be home in a few minutes." The bug spread its wings and flew off with the message Shino gave it.

"Shibi?," Kiba asked knowingly. His scent was all over the tiny bug...

"Yes...it appears he has new news for me...," Shino inclined his head with a hidden frown on his face. "Most likely it _isn't _good news. He told me this morning that he still had to formally appoint my cousin Shinichiro as clan leader before the other clan leaders...so it is probably about _that_..."

"Chh...good luck with that," Kiba smirked teasingly at him. "Too bad you guys don't operate like Inuzuka- we only have one alpha male we have to appease and that's _it_. The other Inuzuka in other places operate under their own alphas, so we don't have to worry about them."

"Hn," Shino hummed a bit unhappily. "_Do _remember that I'm not the only one about to go through a hard time, Kiba. Hinata will probably have hell with the Hyuuga elders..."

"Urk...," Kiba made a face. "I forgot about _those _grumpy old farts..." Shino inclined his head a little- he had forgotten about them for a while, himself.

"See you soon?," Shino more asked than said as he looked at his somewhat surprised old friend.

"Uhh...yeah," Kiba replied a bit awkwardly. "Not too soon, though." Shino bobbed his head once more in acknowledgement before turning his back on the Inuzuka and walking away. Kiba watched until he was out of sight. "Damn...this sucks a lot worse than I thought it would..." With a soft sigh, Kiba headed back into his mother's house and back to his room, where Akamaru awaited him. Akamaru always made him feel better...

"I'm home," Shino called as he stepped through the front door of the Aburame mansion.

"Welcome home, Shino," Shibi replied, his voice coming from the kitchen. Shino stepped out of his shoes and slid them neatly beside his father's near to the door before turning back towards the kitchen and heading into the room. "I went ahead and prepared lunch, so we can eat while we talk."

"Hm," Shino hummed and inclined his head in acknowledgement as Shibi sat in his seat, a plate in front of him and one where Shino usually sat. Shino took his seat, eying his turkey sandwich somewhat hungrily- he'd worked up an appetite running various errands that morning- before looking back up at his father. "What is the 'new news' you've learned?"

"Well...I suppose I should start with the meeting," Shibi replied contemplatively. "It's at two, as originally planned, but it will be held in Hinata's room."

"Hinata's room?," Shino asked, the surprise showing in his voice.

"Yes...that's what she wanted, so her father allowed it," Shibi nodded. "Making sure that it was alright with the doctor first, of course." Shino nodded, feeling a breath of relief pass his lips. "She's off the morphine now, so she should be more like herself...just in a little bit of pain." Shino felt his lips tense into a frown at that, about to reply when his father cut him off. "It was _their _decision, Shino. _Hers_." Slowly, Shino managed to nod. He accepted it...but that didn't mean he was happy about it. "All I have to add to that is that the meeting at two is for the carpenter, then there will be a meeting at three with the wedding planner, and I hope that the first meeting doesn't run into the other."

"What do you mean?," Shino asked, blinking at his father as he tried to understand what he was saying. He hadn't had anything but a granola bar that morning for breakfast- his brain was running on empty.

"I mean...the meeting with the carpenter is going to take a while," Shibi elaborated. "Perhaps more than an hour- it may run into the meeting time with the wedding planner. We're talking about creating floor plans, multiple rooms, water lines, electrical wiring, light fixture placement, outlet placement, furnishings- not to mention the plans for the land surrounding the house. That includes a training area, possibly a seperate dojo, by the way. You see? I think Hiashi got the meetings a _little _too close together..."

"Mmmn," Shino hummed and inclined his head once in agreement. He could see how that meeting could run on for a while... "Why did he schedule them that way, so that they're both today? Why not one today and one tomorrow?"

"So it could all be done at once, probably," Shibi shrugged. "He's one that likes to get things done and out of the way. Contracting both a carpenter _and _a wedding planner close together is rather tricky, though... I know he could assure the carpenter by today, but the wedding planner was a surprise...he probably jumped at the closest available appointment he could get. Wedding planners stay pretty busy." Shino nodded again, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Oh well...what's been done has been done. We'll deal with it later."

"Mn," Shino hummed in agreement. Time to turn topic. "What did Shinichiro say?"

"Oh...he said that he will gladly take over as clan leader," Shibi relayed the message his nephew gave him. "He's already got a wife and child on the way, so they won't be pestered about anything for a while. Now I just have to run it by the other clan leaders...Hiashi actually had a good idea for a way to do it without too much hassle. Normally, we'd have to summon them to our secret HQ, but what if we just sent letters by carrier bird about it? It's a lesser issue, one that really doesn't require the gathering of our clan leaders, so I think it might work. What do you think, Shino?"

"I think it's a good idea," Shino agreed, wiping his mouth of the bread crumbs that clung to his lips. "You should try it."

"I will, then," Shibi nodded, his voice holding his relief and happiness of the (somewhat) resolved issue. Shino already knew about the paperwork Shibi was filling out and only _he _could do it, so there wasn't much Shino could contribute.

"Was there anything else we needed to talk about?," Shino asked with a soft sigh, having just finished the last of his sandwich.

"Hummmm," Shibi hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his stubbly chin. Watching him made Shino glad that he had already shaven that morning- he didn't have to rush to do it before the meeting in an hour and a half. Not that _Shino _would have had to rush to do it, but he was sure Shibi would have to. "I've told you of the slight change of plans, Shinichiro's acceptance of the position...I've got to make up and send out letters...and I've got to shave. Yep, I think that's it." Shino raised a brow in slight amusement.

"You might want to get a jump on all of that by eating first," Shino replied, pointing at Shibi's untouched sandwich. "Then you might want to shave- the letters can be put off until after the meetings, but _that _can't be. I'm sure you want to get there early, too...so that means we only have an hour and twenty minutes to the meeting."

"Huh?," Shibi asked with a slight slackening of his shoulders. He peered over at the clock Shino was looking at, the elder Aburame bristling as shades met shades. "I thought I had more time that that! Wait...where did _your _sandwich go?"

"It's in my stomach," Shino stated amusedly. He'd steadily been eating while Shibi talked. "Please excuse me." With an incline of the head that Shibi returned (albeit somewhat frantically), Shino got up from the table and Shibi started scarfing his sandwich. Not envying all of the work Shibi had to do, Shino walked to his room to do some tidying up before they had to leave. He had a feeling that, by the time everything was said and through that evening, he would be too drained to do even _that _simple task.

As easily as it had been discussed...it wasn't going to be that simple.

Just thinking about talking about some of the on-coming issues of their future with Hinata and her father and the intimate things they were going to have to talk about with the wedding planner had his stomach in knots.

No...this wasn't going to be easy at _all_...

B-dom! B-dom!

"Mmn?," Hinata hummed softly as she blinked, looking up wearily from the Hyuuga law book in her lap. It took her a split second to realize that someone had knocked on her door. (Okay, technically, they knocked on the wood wall beside her door.) "Come in." Slowly, her door slid open, revealing the form of her father standing there...and he had a nice, round, wooden fold-up table in hand...

"How are you feeling?," Hiashi asked as he entered Hinata's room, the girl watching as he set the table down a little ways from her bed. He lifted up the foldable sides, securing them in place so it would retain its shape as a round table. It was actually pretty large...it could easily seat seven people comfortably. Neji stepped in- she hadn't even seen him at the door- and set two nice wooden chairs with beige cushions down at the table.

"Um...I feel alright...," Hinata started and stopped, her father looking up at her with a light frown with a look that said he clearly did not believe her. Since she had settled with the law book, she'd accidentally hurt herself a couple of times and she'd had to take tylenol backed with ibuprophen to numb the pain down to a more tolerable level. "I've had better days...but I've been without incident for the last fourty minutes." She offered up a small smile that broadened a bit when Hiashi's brow raised high, leading to his own small crack of an amused smile. He was obviously trying _not _to smile. Hinata felt accomplished for the first time that day...since she'd had little to no luck with her law research.

"And you haven't been put back on morphine?," Hiashi asked. Hinata would have been slightly offended...had she not seen the glimmer of mirth in his eyes. He was teasing her! It was a very rare moment, indeed. She couldn't remember the last time he teased her so good-naturedly...

"I...um...no," was all she could manage as her cheeks heated with embarrassment. She could remember times the day before when she spilled more than she should have, and a few times she barely managed to stop herself in time. It was embarrassing, to say the least... The makings of a small, somewhat triumphant, smirk curled at Hiashi's lips. She idly noticed that Neji was blinking at her father with mild surprise in his white gaze. This was new to _him_, too.

"Good," Hiashi replied simply. "It wouldn't do to have you in such condition for this." And now he was dropping it smoothly like he hadn't just teased her...this was...odd...

"Mnn," Hinata hummed in agreement softly. "Um...father...what are the table and chairs for?"

"They're for the meeting," Hiashi sighed softly. "Neji is helping me bring it all in- we've still got to bring in three more chairs. If Domeki didn't insist on bringing his right hand, I wouldn't need help with this..." Hinata mentally counted things up, noticing that they were a chair short.

Hinata + Hiashi + Shibi + Shino + Domeki + Domeki's friend = six chairs.

"Don't we need another chair, then?," Hinata asked softly, Hiashi looking at her in slight confusion.

"What for?," he asked in return.

"There would be six of us without Domeki's right hand, so we need another chair...," Hinata pointed out gently, working the fabric of her blanket in her fingers nervously. Correcting her father wasn't something that she liked to do...

"_You're _not getting a seat," he surprised her. "_You _are going to lay on your bed. I'll move the table up to your bed and we'll sit there."

"B-But...I can still sit in a chair on my own," Hinata protested, her cheeks turning a dark strawberry in shade.

"I'm not willing to risk that after what happened earlier," Hiashi retorted, making her flush deepen to a cherry red. "You sit there, safe and out of harm's way, and we will sit at the table so that we can all see and hear one another properly." His voice, oddly gentle but still firm, brokered no room for argument.

"Y-Yes, father," Hinata bowed her head in compliance, feeling a little like an invalid.

"Hm," Hiashi hummed in acknowledgement. "Help me get the final three chairs in, Neji." With a nod, Neji followed Hiashi out of the room, the two leaving the door open this time. Hinata pulled her lavender comforter up a little higher on her torso, feeling a little exposed in her night clothes. (A short-sleeved lavender nightshirt a couple of shades darker than her lavender comforter, and baggy white sleep pants that were covered completely by her blanket.) If she had thought about it, she might've dressed in something a littler nicer for the meeting...

"I thought about it too late," Hinata sighed softly as she marked her place in the law book with a floral bookmark Ten Ten had gotten her a while back when she was visiting a far away city on a mission. Closing the book, she set it in the drawer of her wooden nightstand, setting her opened notebook on top of it. Hinata capped her pen and slid it to the side of them and slid the drawer shut, idly noticing that the time was one fourty four. Sixteen minutes to the meeting. Shino and his dad would probably get there pretty soon. Her cheeks, having just cooled, heated up again as she fluffed her pillows and sat up straighter. Hinata was glad that she'd at least run a brush through her hair when she was in the bathroom a while ago.

(That was when her little accident had occurred- she'd hit her right leg on the way out of the bathroom, when she was opening the hardwood door. ...And then she'd yelped and leaned forwards, as to reach and touch the place that was renewed with pain, and she'd hit her injured shoulder on the still-opening door. She was convinced that the door had conspired against her just to reopen her wounds and cause her pain.)

"Here...," Hiashi grunted, entering Hinata's room with two chairs, snapping her out of her reveries and her little moment of embarrassed panic. She watched as he set the chairs up at the table, Neji following with the last chair.

"I could have taken the two, Hiashi-sama," Neji sighed as they scooted the table a little closer to Hinata and re-set the chairs.

"I've got them," Hiashi responded with a hint of irritation in his voice. "I may be old, but I'm not over the hill just yet. I'm going to do things while I can still do them."

"A-Ah...yes sir...," Neji replied softly, the man a bit flustered at the sudden attack. Hinata inwardly cringed a little, outwardly flinching. '_That's the __**third **__time in the last four months that he's gotten needlessly defensive about his age_,' Hinata silently mused, a little worried over the issue. Hanabi had once snickered that he was going through a mid-life crisis, but Hinata had dismissed it. She couldn't help but wonder, though...was Hanabi right? "Um...the meeting will begin shortly and I've got things to do, so I will take my leave." Hiashi gave a rough hum of acknowledgement as Hinata half-bowed to him, the man giving the same courtacy as he slipped out of the room, shutting his door on the way out. Hiashi sighed softly as he looked at Hinata, making her a little nervous as he walked over and sat beside her.

"Have you made any progress? I noticed that you were working when we first came in," Hiashi asked, surprising her a bit.

"Oh...um...I've made a _little _progress," Hinata nodded as she thought back to all she had found in the law book about the curse mark and all of the information on it. She'd only read five sections of fifteen on it all, so she had only come up with basic ideas and plans to abolish it. She was careful to write all of the important and main points down in her notebook so she would have it all in hand for reference. "I still need to read everything on the curse mark and take notes, then I can properly speculate, brainstorm, and go through all of the possibilities, eliminating the improbable and testing the probable against the laws." Hiashi nodded approvingly.

"Good...," he responded somewhat softly, a glint to his eyes that she didn't quite recognize. "I made some side notes of my own on some of the pages- don't forget to write them down. I tested my theories against the elders with them and failed. Maybe _you _can learn something from my mistakes, or maybe find something that I missed." Hinata slowly nodded, awed that her father was serious... (He actually thought she could find something that _he _missed!) Judging by his demeanor and the look in his eyes, he _really _seemed confident that she could help Hanabi. _'If only __**I **__were so confident_,' Hinata thought silently, suddenly feeling somewhat small in her skin. Any other thoughts of the matter were interrupted by another knock on the door.

"Dammit," Shibi hissed as he nicked his neck.

"I thought you were going to shave _before _writing up the letters," Shino pointed out with a light frown on his face. _'It would have been the smart thing to do_...,' he added silently.

"Well I _was _going to do it that way...," Shibi admitted, sticking a tiny piece of tissue paper on the flowing wound before starting to shave again, more carefully this time. "But I thought I could kill two birds with one stone if I wrote a basic letter to go out to them all, shaved, then got back to writing the letters." Shino found himself blinking in surprise. It was actually a good idea...

"So then...what went wrong?," Shino asked with his curiosity and slight confusion coming through his voice.

"I perfected the letter, with the exemption of leaving out the names, but it took too damn long," Shibi sighed, shaving the last of the shaving cream off of his face. "I should have shaved first...you were right." With another soft sigh, Shibi turned the water on in his personal bathroom and rinsed his razor off before capping it and setting it in his medicine cabinet. He shut the water off and patted his face and neck dry with a hand towel he had on the counter, wiping away the excess shaving cream before applying some scentless aftershave.

"Well we're not late," Shino pointed out. "It's only one fourty."

"I still cut it too close...," Shibi shook his head, grabbing his neatly folded jacket from the side and donning it. By the look in his deep brown eyes before he hid them behind his shades, Shibi was berating himself for not doing it sooner and almost making them late...for being early. Shino shook his head. Sometimes his father was too hard on himself. He had to wonder...how much of that came from his grandfather? He berated Shibi for the slightest things and things that weren't even his fault... "Let's go get our shoes on and I'll use a transportation jutsu to get us there quick..._and _I can transport us right in front of Hinata's door." Shino nodded, feeling the anxiety rise again as they started walking towards the front of the house, Shibi shutting the lights off in his bathroom and bedroom as they went. Shino's Kikkaichu hissed and stirred angrily at the upset...but he couldn't help it. Try as he might, he couldn't tamp down the feelings that bubbled just beneath the surface. It all stemmed from the meeting...having to see Hinata again...and talking about the life they were going to share together.

A life he still couldn't quite see himself in.

Maybe after they started officially...dating...he would be able to see it. Right now, though...he still just felt awkward about it. He was close friends with her, yes. He vowed to protect her and could think about her as his wife without blushing _too _much now, yes. But thinking about it while with her in the room and talking about it...? And then the wedding planner, too...she would probably bring up things that would make them _both _uncomfortable...

"Here we are...," Shibi spoke as he slipped into his boots, Shino following suit with his own boots. "Ready?" _'No_,' Shino thought weakly as he nodded to say he was, even though he wasn't. Shibi inclined his head and Shino put his hand on his shoulder, waiting a moment before the jutsu started to work, the two being transported to the Hyuuga Compound.

"Come in," Hiashi called, Hinata fidgetting a little with her blanket as the door started to open, revealing Shibi and hints of Shino behind him.

"Good afternoon," Shibi and Shino spoke as Shibi fully slid the door open and entered the room, Shino following just behind him. Hinata felt her cheeks flare just a tad as she followed her father's example with a half-bow. After all of that...she forgotten to be nervous about the meeting. And now...it was catching up to her.

"Good afternoon," Hiashi returned the greeting politely.

"G-Good afternoon," Hinata mimicked the greeting, both sitting upright again as the two approached the table, taking seats on the opposite side of Hiashi. Shino sat right beside Hinata, his father in the seat beside him. Shino couldn't help but notice Hinata's attire... Although he had seen her in night clothing before, her shirts had never been so thin... It was a night shirt like a tight thinly made summer t-shirt made of a lightweight cotton. It wasn't so thin that he could see through it, but he _could _see the outline of her bra against the shirt... He had seen girls from the town wear these kinds of shirts, but never Hinata. (As she had once said, it wasn't her style.)

"How are you doing, Hinata?," Shino asked as he struggled to keep his gaze on her face, her shirt somewhat distracting for him. Hinata felt her cheeks burn a little hotter, the girl acutely aware of how thin her night shirt was now...at least she was wearing a bra... (She liked sleeping without them, but she only went without them when she was _sure _she wouldn't get caught without one on. Basically rarely when she slept at home.)

"I'm doing alright, Shino-kun," Hinata replied as amiably as she could with the knot in her throat and butterflies in her belly. Hiashi snorted and her cheeks started to burn a little hotter, the Aburame turning their attention to Hiashi.

"Hmmm..._that _doesn't sound promising. What happened?," Shibi asked, the curiosity leaking into his voice. Shino was mildly curious and slightly worried, as well.

"She had an accident earlier, reopening her leg wound _and _her shoulder wound," Hiashi revealed, Hinata turning a dark cherry red. "She had to take two doses of medicine to level her pain while a nurse re-bandaged her wounds." Shino inwardly cringed. That wasn't good at _all_...

"That's not alright, Hinata-san," Shibi chided lightly. "That's rather bad, actually..."

"I'm feeling much better _now_, though," Hinata protested lightly, her fingers picking idly at her blanket.

"An hour or so after the fact," Hiashi shot back at her with a light frown, making her blush deepen just a bit more. "Stop that. You'll fray the threads." He smacked her right hand like a parent pops a young child's hand when they get into trouble. Hinata was quick to retract her hand, hesitating for a moment. Her left hand was bandaged and still could hurt if she pressed on it too much... Instead of sliding her hands beneath her legs, as she would do on a normal basis to keep herself from picking a fabic bare in her little fit of nervousness, Hinata clasped them together and set them in her lap. She completely missed Shino's sympathetic look, the man understanding her feelings and her habits. '_I wonder if she'll last the meeting_,' Shino idly wondered, watching her hands twitch in unrest even while clamped together.

"You cut yourself?," Hiashi asked, all attention turned back to Shibi and Hiashi.

"Come again?," Shibi asked confusedly at the abrupt change of topic.

"Your neck...you cut yourself shaving?," Hiashi asked again.

"Oh...yeah," Shibi replied somewhat nonchalontly as he inwardly cursed the Hyuuga for noticing. It was pretty low down on his neck, too...his collar hid it... Shino was surprised and Hinata mildly shocked...she couldn't see it, the place that he was cut.

"Maybe we _should _have talked about shaving earlier," Hiashi openly teased the Aburame. "It might've saved you that cut."

"Are you just bored today?," Shibi asked with a hint of a teasing tone to his voice. "Or are you _looking _for a fight?"

"I might be looking for a fight...," Hiashi replied contemplatively with a nod. "If Domeki doesn't get here on time, that is."

"The carpenter?," Shibi asked with a raise of his brow.

"Hm," Hiashi hummed and inclined his head. Shino shifted his shades up his nose as Hinata fidgetted a little at the turn of the conversation. Her father could be _so _impatient sometimes... Hiashi opened his mouth to say something else when there was a soft rapping on the door. "Come in."

"Good afternoon," a man called pleasantly as he opened the door. He was about Shino's height with short dark brown hair that bordered on black, his bangs a bit long and falling into his face. His white Hyuuga eyes were dark around the edges, black rings starting to form under his eyes, like he hadn't gotten much sleep lately. The man was dressed in a black thermal shirt and light-colored blue jeans. It was...odd attire to see in the Compound. Most people there went with more traditional clothing or black and white or neutral colors. Very few wore blue jeans and more modern clothes. "I apologize for not making it here sooner...I had some..._issues _to deal with." The man glared at a barely-visible man behind him.

"It's not _my _fault-," the man started and stopped, interrupted.

"I _don't _want to hear it, Tatsuya," the man with dark hair snapped, shaking his head as he sighed.

"You are on-time," Hiashi informed them, both men looking towards their leader. They were a minute early, so they were _right _on time. Any later and he might have considered them late and in trouble... "I hope the issues are not _too _serious, Domeki."

"You have nothing to worry about, sir," the black-haired man shook his head as he fully entered the room, the man behind him shutting the door after them, his arms full of what looked like blueprints. "It is a minor issue that caused our delay, something that will be dealt with later." Domeki was seething as he approached the table, carefully keeping his sight from the man behind him. Hinata, Shino, and Shibi all noticed that Domeki seemed to be in between Hiashi/Shibi's age and Hinata/Shino's age, but he had crows feet developing at the corners of his eyes...and _that _was probably from countless nights of little sleep in addition to his aging.

The man behind him, Tatsuya, seemed closer to Hinata and Shino's age, the man a couple of inches shorter than Domeki. He had somewhat short, layered golden brown hair with a part in the middle, slightly long bangs bothering his white eyes a bit. His skin had a sun-kissed tan to it, making the pale Domeki look almost sickly white in color next to him. Tatsuya had on a white male kimono with a traditional black dragon snarling on the back of it, the kimono parted a bit to show his toned abs and pecks, a black tie wrapped around his waist to keep it together. Thankfully he also had on black pants, so nothing important showed from his parted kimono. Hinata also noticed a gleaming golden hoop earring in each of his earlobes...

"You may sit," Hiashi inclined his head, Domeki mirroring the move, Tatsuya doing so sloppily as they took their seats at the other side of the table. Domeki sat by Hiashi and he plucked the three blueprints from Tatsuya, along with a notebook and pen.

"You're welcome," Tatsuya snorted at him, making Shibi's brows raise and Shino's brows furrow. Hinata flinched. This wasn't going to be a quick meeting, she could already tell...and it would probably be filled with rudeness and arguments between the two.

"Just curious...what _did _delay you?," Shibi asked, getting a dirty look from Hiashi. Shibi ignored it, to Shino's dismay.

"Answer, idiot," Domeki barked as he sifted through the paper and blueprints.

"You're just jealous," Tatsuya sniffed. Domeki snorted, but didn't reply. "I was...held up by my girlfriend. We were just taking a minute to talk some things out."

"_Talk_..._right_," Domeki frowned, finally looking back at his accomplice. "So I _didn't _find you both in my _personal office _half-dressed on my _desk_?"

"Hmm," Shibi hummed softly, his brows risen.

"Oh..," Shino groaned almost silently, his cheeks coloring a light dusty pink. He was glad for his high-topped jacket...

"Oh my...," Hinata gasped softly, a hand raising to her lips as her cheeks turned a light shade of crimson.

"Mmmph," Hiashi grunted, obviously disgruntled.

"It was a pretty intense talk," Tatsuya shrugged, making Domeki growl in frustration at him. Hinata's blush darkened and Shino looked away from the over-confident man with an almost imperceptible shake of his head. "What can I say? I love the ladies." His lazy white gaze caught Hinata and he puckered his lips at her, as though blowing her a kiss as he winked at her. The girl went rigid, her eyes widened a great deal as her face darkened even more in color. She was...unused to dealing with such behavior. No man had ever done that to her before...though she'd seen them do it to Ten Ten, Sakura, and Ino before... Unsure of what to do, Hinata averted her gaze, staring down at her lap while her hands tightened on each other, turning her fingers white. Shino missed it, the man surprised when he looked at her. Shibi was half-amused behind his high-topped jacket...and half annoyed. Hiashi was beyond annoyed, clearing his throat to show it.

"I am _so _sorry, Hiashi-sama, Hinata-sama, Shino-san, Shibi-san," Domeki apologized, bowing deeply to them. "Tatsuya is still very much a spoiled teen at heart and he needs to _grow up_!"

"What was-?!," Tatsuya started and stopped, his head yanked down by Domeki so that he was bowing, too. "OW!" His head hit the table, surprising them and making Hinata jump as she looked back at them with widened eyes. "Why, you!"

"Why do you even keep him around?," Shibi asked with his brow raised yet again.

"Because he's damn good at what he does...when he's not slacking off or screwing around," Domeki replied honestly as he sat up, bringing Tatsuya with him.

"Oh you're _so _kind," Tatsuya retorted sarcastically.

"If you'd quit the funny buisiness and man up and do your _job_, we wouldn't be sitting here now like we are," Domeki shot back at him.

"Speaking of which, it's time to talk about the construction of the Hyuuga-Aburame mansion," Hiashi intervened with a stern voice.

"Yes, sir, I apologize again," Domeki spoke softly, humbly. Tatsuya snorted softly and leaned back in his chair. Domeki grabbed a blueprint and unfurled it with his hands, showing a floor plan he had contructed. "Because you asked for a mansion to be constructed in such a short amount of time, I took the liberty of getting a jump-start on the project by mapping out a few floor plans and drawing them out to proper scale based on the plot of land that you purchased." He slid the paper into Hiashi's hands as he motioned for it, Domeki opening another sheet up. "_Please _do the same with that one." He aimed that at Tatsuya, the man rolling his eyes before unfurling the last floor plan. Miraculously, he kept his mouth shut. "I made three seperate basic plans that can be easily altered to suit the needs and wants of our young heir and heiress. I also was unsure of what the Aburame required, so I left some extra space for improvement."

"Excellent...that was a very clever decision," Shibi nodded approvingly as they looked over the floor plans interestedly. Shino was able to see more than Hinata was, the girl stuck at the other side of the table.

"Thank you, sir," Domeki beamed proudly.

"You're very welcome," Shibi replied amiably. Hinata noticed that, though his voice was warm in tone, it wasn't as unguarded as it was when it was just the four of them. "The Aburame only have _one _special need for our homes...and _that _is a large enough space left in the designs for a Kikkaichu habitat. You've left plenty of room for one, so that is taken care of. I have someone that can be called in to create the habitat, so you don't have to worry about it."

"Alright," Domeki nodded attentively. "Are there any particular floor plans that anyone is drawn to? Please remember that they _can _be edited and changed accordingly." The floor plans were passed to Hiashi and Shibi, Shibi showing Shino and Hiashi showing Hinata the plans more closely.

"I see this one has been made with more bedrooms," Shibi pointed out in the plan that he and Shino had, the house large with an open-concept living room, dining room, and kitchen combination. It had a half wall with a counter seperating the living room and kitchen, a glass door that lead outside to the far right side where the dining room table was, a study, and it had two and a half bathrooms with ten bedrooms...not including the master bedroom. "They're rather small, though..."

"Yes...," Domeki nodded in agreement. "If you want more bedrooms, then the space of the bedrooms is sacrificed. They could be widened at the cost of numbers of bedrooms..." Shibi nodded knowingly as Shino and Hinata took everything in.

"If we leave it as it is, then you two are going to have to fill the rooms," Shibi spoke up, Shino stiffening as Hinata blinked and looked up from the plans, a blush forming on her pale face. There was something smug in the sound of Shibi's voice that Hinata wasn't sure that she liked...plus the implication made her blush like crazy.

"H-How about this one?," Hinata managed to squeak out, pointing to the one that Hiashi had. Shino was glad for the abrupt change of topic...it would stop his dad from further embarrassing them.

"Hmm...may I?," Shibi asked, getting a nod of approval from Hiashi. The Hyuuga slid the paper around so that Shibi could see. It was a roomier house with a porch out front, a large living room, a decent-sized kitchen and dining room combination, a study, nine bedrooms in all (including the master bedroom), and three and a half bathrooms. Shibi also noticed a door off to the right side that lead outside. Multiple exits were good for ninja-owned homes. "Not bad... The way this one is done, it seems more open and simple."

"That's what I was going for," Domeki bobbed his head sagely. "A house that optimized space over bedrooms." He pulled out the last blueprint, the paper a bit larger than the other one as the two fathers nodded in approval, scanning the papers critically. "Now..._this _one...is a little different." All eyes went back to Domeki, even Tatsuya's gaze- and he seemed only _vaugely _interested in the plans. "Hiashi-sama, we discussed the possible purchase of a little more land that became available after you and Shibi-san bought the land you have now. This is a home based on the new plot of land, allowing me to expand the house a little more. The rooms are much larger, so you'll never have to upgrade or do _any _kind of work...and I included a formal business room, a larger study in the back, and a seperate great room that your future family can enjoy." Shibi and Hiashi both analyzed the paper as Shino and Hinata noticed there were more finished details in this house plan. "There's a front porch that runs the length of the front of the house, and a nice-sized deck on back that connects to the inside by a set of french doors in the back of the study. There's a little area outside that can be played with, and I set aside an area for a semi-large training area or seperate dojo- your choice."

"This is really well done," Shibi nodded approvingly as he studied it a moment more.

"Thank you," Domeki smiled proudly. "I worked hard on it."

"I can see that," Hiashi nodded his head, a hand rubbing his chin contemplatively. It was silent a moment before he spoke again. "I want everyone to voice their opinions of the blueprints- I want feedback from _everyone_, that includes _you _Shino, Hinata. This is going to be _your _home, afterall."

"Agreed," Shibi nodded, looking back at the two. "Have you had any experience with house construction, Hinata? I know Shino hasn't..."

"Umm...no," Hinata admitted softly as she shook her head.

"That's alright...Hiashi and I will help you both through it, alright?," Shibi replied in a gentle but business-like way.

"Mmmn," Hinata hummed softly with a nod and small smile.

"Alright, then," Shibi spoke, Hiashi and Shibi eying the blueprints readily. "First order of business...do we want _more _rooms or _bigger _rooms? Or should we go with getting that extra bit of land?"

"That is something that _they _will have to decide," Hiashi nodded his head towards Shino and Hinata before locking eyes with each of them. "Keeping in mind that more rooms means more heirs will have to be created to fill those rooms, which would you prefer?"

"Less rooms," Shino and Hinata spoke in unison, both looking back at the other in surprise and knowing, their cheeks tinged red.

"This one is ruled out," Shibi spoke up, amusement showing slightly in his voice as he folded the eleven-room blueprint and handed it back to Domeki. "Here you go." Domeki inclined his head and took the blueprint back, placing it under his chair for safe keeping. "Now do you want the nine bedroom and three and a half bath roomy home or the larger six bedroom, three bathroom house on the extra bit of land?" They both studied the two blueprints a moment, thinking it through carefully.

"Umm...," Hinata replied nervously, the first to speak, as she looked over at Shino for support. He didn't give her much help, his expression carefully guarded as his shades turned back to her. "W-What do _you _think, Shino-kun?"

"I think they are both nice," Shino responded, his opinion not exactly helping. He realized this and added his thought process into his answer. "The house on the bigger plot of land has a larger kitchen and dining room space, as well as rooms, and a good few of the details are already worked out. The other house is large and nice, but the rooms and the kitchen are much smaller. I think that the larger one would better benefit us in the long run for multiple reasons. What are _your _thoughts on it, Hinata?" He inwardly applauded himself for not stammering or stumbling over his words. Just because he was acting cool didn't mean he felt it. (Though he was doing a _lot _better than he thought he would...so far.)

"A-Ahh umm...," Hinata spoke softly, slightly flustered at being called out so suddenly. "I think that you're right." She nodded, looking between the floor plans. '_It's got the least amount of rooms, which means less heirs_,' she added mentally, her flush darkening a bit. "I believe that the larger rooms will be better for us and...our family...and the kitchen is really nice. We could have family over for the holidays without worrying about space."

"That would be nice," Shibi nodded once, his brows slightly risen. "One question, though. Would you hire help for cooking and such or do _you _like to do that kind of thing?" Hiashi shot him a look. "My reasoning being that if you don't like to and want to hire hands for it, either rooms will be filled or you will need a seperate home for the ones who don't live close." Hiashi gave a thoughtful approving nod as Shino bobbed his head once in acknowledgement of the issue.

"I _like _to cook and clean," Hinata admitted softly with a small, slightly shy, smile. "There's no need to hire hands. And...preparing a large meal is not something I've done before, but it would be fun to try." Shino felt his lips tugging up a little into his own smile as she blushed and twiddled her fingers somewhat nervously. He knew she would say something like that...but...no way in hell was he letting her clean a large house like that one by herself. They could take turns cooking and cleaning in specific areas, like they did on missions now and when they were Genin. (Cleaning houses was part of their duty when they were Genin, and she was always the best at it, the three of them splitting up the duties evenly. Cooking...well, it went without saying that they took turns with it when they were together on missions.)

"I will help you cook and clean," Shino offered up, only surprising her a little. "It is a large house...I wouldn't let you do it alone."

"T-Thank you, Shino-kun," Hinata smiled, turning her gaze back to her hands as they fiddled together nervously.

"Alright, so that is settled," Hiashi inclined his head, aleviating the slight tension from the warm and slightly awkward moment. "I will secure the land and the larger home will be built. Good job, Domeki."

"Thank you, sir," Domeki beamed as his plan he'd worked hard on was chosen, the other one rolled up and handed back to him. He slid it under his seat beside the other one. "Now that we have a definite floor plan, we can get down to the nitty gritty details. This is where Tatsuya comes in." He patted the man on the back, making him sigh and sit up again.

"Alright," Tatsuya rolled his arms out, getting them to pop at the sockets as he looked over the plan. His face hardened a little and he got serious. "I'm the electrical, plumbing, and ordering expert. "I can help out with placement of utilities, electrical outlets, lighting, and any ordering of flooring, cabinets, and _anything _else you can think of. Why don't we start with the utility room, since the bathrooms are all well-placed. Where do you want the utility room? Keep in mind that it'll have to be near to a bathroom." _'He's talking like a professional_,' Shino internally mused, the man shocked at the sudden change in Tatsuya.

"Damn...I forgot the utility room," Domeki murmered, obviously startled that he had forgotten to include it.

"We will have to sacrifice a room for it," Hiashi frowned lightly. Domeki flushed lightly.

"No, just a little space and not much of it," Shibi shook his head. "If we choose the space wisely."

"Mnn," Shino agreed with an incline of his head. "Why not sacrifice a little space from the great room?" All eyes locked on him and he tried not to fidgit. "We have a large living room in the front of the house and the great room is close to the bathroom. Sacrificing a little space from the side will allow a utility room without sacrificing a bedroom or much space from the great room." Shino pointed out the great room on the plan, the room beside a bedroom and a bathroom, a bathroom on the opposide side between two bedrooms. The bathroom on the other side ran almost in the middle of the great room, so the one to the side of the great room was the one he was referring to.

"That would work," Tatsuya nodded thoughtfully. "It's not sacrificing much, either. Good call. Are we all onboard with this?" Shibi nodded as he and Hiashi locked eyes.

"Shibi and I are," Hiashi inclined his head at Tatsuya before looking back at his daughter. "Hinata?"

"Mnnn," She hummed. "It's a really good idea."

"One utility room coming up," Tatsuya nodded, nudging Domeki. The older man produced a white marker from his clothing and Tatsuya drew in the utility room, complete with washer and dryer. "Top of the line works?" He looked between Shibi and Hiashi questioningly, getting a nod from Hiashi and brow raise from Shibi as he mirrored Hiashi. "Gotcha. Pen and paper." Domeki slid the pen and paper over to Tatsuya, the man making notes on what kind of washer and dryer to get. "Same for the kitchen appliances?"

"Of course," Hiashi sniffed. Tatsuya inclined his head politely (instead of snapping back, as they all thought he would) and scribbled notes down.

"Alright...now we need to go over outlet placement, then we can cover the little details including flooring and countertops and all that good stuff," Tatsuya spoke, clapping his hands together once, as though excited. He didn't show it if he _was_, though...

The hour passed quickly, Tatsuya staying in business mode as they picked out all of the places for the outlets, lighting options, they chose their flooring (a dark, rich red mahogany hardwood throughout), countertops (a light blonde bamboo butcher board with darker streaks within it), black cabinets with silver handles, a long black table for the kitchen, an island with matching counter tops, and all of the fixtures and features for the bathrooms. They also had to chose a bed (king sized) for their room, along with the spare bedroom beds (twin-sized); the color schemes for the rooms (paint colors included), the living room, kitchen, bathrooms, study, and formal business room. (Not to mention picking out the bedspreads, furniture, and art for _all _of the rooms.) Shibi pointed out a space in the main living area that was to be left alone so that a glass bug habitat could be built in, and Hiashi helped them figure in the wood for the front porch that spanned the front of the house and the wood for the deck on back (along with figuring seating for both and other little details). And, lastly, they came to a decision to make the spare area, set aside for training, a seperate dojo with heating and cooling and a weight room included in the back.

"Alright...," Tatsuya bobbed his head once as he looked over his notes and the house once more. "I _think _that's everything."

"I think so, too," Domeki nodded in agreement as Tatsuya capped his pen, both of them looking back up at the Hyuuga and the Aburame before them.

"Do any of you have any questions or anything about what we've done?," Tatsuya asked, sliding the blueprint around so that they could see it. They all shook their heads, albeit a bit slowly, as they thought over everything that they had gone over. "Look over it once more and tell me if you think of anything else." Sliding it back over, Shino and Hinata looked at the plans for their new home once more.

Just inside the front door was the living room, the large kitchen and eat-in dining room to the far right. A pantry was at the back of the room with a refrigerator beside it, countertops and cabinets running from the area beside the fridge to the end of the wall and down the far right wall. At the end of the counter space and cabinets was a stove with a vent over it. A good few feet to the left of the counter tops (far enough away that Hinata and Shino could safely maneuver around one another in the kitchen), paralell to them, was the island that ran almost the same length as the cabinets. It was cut short near the pantry, giving an area to get by, a space just like it on the opposite end of the island. The large sink was built into the island, giving plenty of room for a dish drainer and extra space for dirty dishes and even more space for preparing food. Back in the living room, there was a door that served as the entrance to the formal business room (near to the kitchen/dining room) that had a door on the other side of the room as well, leading deeper into the house. There was a space to the far left in the living room that was reserved for the Kikkaichu habitats, and a fairly large hallway on the left end leading back into the house. (The hallway was large enough for three kids to play chase through without bumping into one another.) Down the hallway, and against the wall that sided the living room, was a bedroom and the formal business room. A hallway ran through that way, seperating that area from the bedroom (located on the left side), great room (in the middle), utility room (on the right), and bathroom (on the far right, on the end of the grouping). There were hallways on either side of that grouping in the middle of the house for easy access and mobility reasons as well as emergency reasons.

On the other side of the four rooms were two bedrooms, one on either side of the grouping, and a bathroom in between them. The hallway wrapped around the middle group of rooms and ran between those rooms and the back rooms of the house, connecting _all _of the rooms of the house. On the far left of the back rooms was the master bedroom and it connected to the master bathroom. (The bathroom had a huge walk-in closet in the back with a built-in organizer and the only door into the bathroom was from the master bedroom, for privacy reasons. (Tatsuya had gone on and _on _for a _long_, embarrassing, few minutes about it and _why _they would need their privacy from their kids...) And the bedroom was so big that Hinata had doubts that they would be able to fill it so that it felt homey and not just...empty.) Beside the master bathroom (the bathroom located on the right side of the bedroom), was the large study that lead out to the deck and sitting area, and there was a bedroom on the far right, the last room of the house. After some talking and negotiating, Tatsuya had added in all of the windows (two in the living room area, a large window in the front part of the kitchen and a window at the side, in between the cabinets and counter tops, three windows on the left side of the house where the hallway was, two on the right side in the hallway area, three in the last bedroom on the right, and one in the master bedroom on the left side of the house) and an extra exit on the right side of the house in the hallway, between the two windows. Concrete stairs and a railing would be added for safety.

There was an area in the back that was untouched, left for landscaping after the house was fully finished, and the dojo was farther back. It had a front and a back exit, a weight room added in back with equipment and a few pieces of furniture that they had picked for it, a door seperating the room from the dojo. The dojo was large with a few various items for training included in it, the floors a light colored bamboo and the walls would be painted a calming (but not sleepy) deep green that was both dark _and _bright.

That was their new home. Both of them had a hard time believing it... It was just...so surreal.

"No questions here, I think you've got everything for now," Shibi spoke up as they all looked up from the plans.

"Indeed...this is well-planned," Hiashi nodded approvingly.

"I can't think of anything," Shino admitted softly, his head spinning a little from the meeting and all of the details they went over.

"Me neither," Hinata shook her head, closing her eyes a moment to stop the images from spinning. She was looking too closely at the details again...

"Excellent," Domeki beamed as he rolled up the plan and wrapped a rubber band around it. "Then everything is set...and we're..." He peered down at a watch on his wrist that Hinata hadn't noticed until that moment. "Four minutes early. The wedding planner _should _be here any moment."

"_Your _planner," Tatsuya snorted back at Domeki, confusing Hinata, Shino, and Shibi.

"Oh, hush," Domeki shot back at him with a blush creeping up onto his cheeks. Tatsuya rolled his eyes. Shibi shot a confused look at Hiashi and he a raised brow, the Hyuuga giving a soft sigh as he turned back to them. He knew something that _they _didn't, and they all realized it almost instintaneously.

"The only reason I was able to book both meetings today was through Domeki," Hiashi explained to the clueless three. "His finacee is the wedding planner."

"Ah-hah!," Shibi popped back at him, the smirk heard in his voice. "I _knew _you had leverage _somewhere_..."

"I use what resources I have," Hiashi shrugged off indifferently. "It was just...a conveniant coincidence that Domeki and Suzuna happened to be engaged and that they could _both _be of help to us."

"Conveniant coincidence..._right_...," Shibi shot back, his voice telling them that he didn't believe him.

"Alright...I did my research and it _wasn't _so much a coincidence...but _is _convenient," Hiashi admitted openly, gaining a chuckle from Shibi and somewhat mild shock from the others. A knock at the door prevented anything else from being said, Shibi's jaw snapping shut at the knock. "Come in."

"Pardon me," a woman spoke from the doorway as she slid the shoji screen door open a little. "I hope I'm not intruding on your meeting..." The woman was obviously a Hyuuga, her white eyes peering in at Hiashi. Her dark dair was tied up in a neat bun, her fair skin glowing in the light.

"Not at all," Hiashi replied simply.

"We finished it moments ago, Suzuna," Domeki added as her red lips tipped up into a smile. "We were just about to leave."

"Please, enter," Hiashi inclined his head, getting a polite nod from the woman at the door as she opened the door. The woman had on a long-sleeve magenta kimono top with black swirls and detailing (butterflies fluttered by here and there with blue, yellow, orange, red, and pink hues painting their wings) with a black tie holding it closed at her waist, and she had on black pressed slacks with black heels. In her arm was a blue-gray expandable folder that was already expanded out a good bit, the front bulging a tad, the elastic chord pulled out a little where it held the front flap to the front of the folder. Domeki gathered the blueprints and shoved them into Tatsuya's arms as he stood up, Tatsuya mouthing filthy words at Domeki all the while. It obviously went ignored by the older man as he stepped up to his finacee, giving her a hug and a gentle chaste kiss on the lips. They shared a few whispered words, the others diverting their attention for the moment.

"Well...I guess that's our cue to leave," Tatsuya drew attention to himself purposely to give the two a moment as he stood up with a sigh. "We will start on construction and we'll call if we have any other questions. The landscaping will be left to the end, as we mentioned before, so it'll be a week or two before the wedding when we contact you for that."

"Hn," Hiashi hummed with a nod of approval. "We will look forwards to seeing you then."

"Alrighty then...," Tatsuya nodded, casting a glance over at his partner, the man still sharing a word with his finacee. "Umm..." He shuffled, obviously not comfortable with what was going on, but respecting them for some reason by giving them an uninterrupted moment together. After a brief moment, his gaze settled on Hinata. She squirmed silently under his relentless white gaze, making his brow quirk along with his lips.

Shino didn't like the way he was looking at her, a hint of hunger deep in Tatsuya's gaze that had nothing to do with food. Shino felt something dark and angry bubble up from deep inside of him, something he felt, at times, when men would look at Hinata with that same dark, hungry gaze... _'Hinata isn't something you can eat_,' Shino silently seethed as he leveled a glare at Tatsuya. (Usually, he could send a glare and get the man to stop staring before Hinata noticed and became uncomfortable- she wasn't used to such lewd attention and he was going to make sure it stayed that way.) _'She isn't easy, and she's __**not **__your type. Back off_.' He noticed that Tatsuya shivered, obviously disturbed by Shino's glare, but he kept any fear or uneasiness from his face. "Hinata-sama...would you like some friendly advice?"

"Hm? Oh...umm...I guess so?," Hinata more asked than said, caught off guard by his sudden question.

"No...she doesn't," Shino cut in, Tatsuya finally locking eyes with his shades. "Not the kind of advice _you _want to share." Hinata blinked, looking between the two of them with surprise and hesitation.

_'What...what just happened_...?,' Hinata wondered soundlessly as her eyes flicked between Shino and Tatsuya. _'He was only going to...oh_...' Her cheeks colored a rose color again. _'I feel so naieve_...'

"I'd always heard the Aburame glare was something to fear...but _damn_...," Tatsuya retorted, giving a more noticable shake as he looked away. "It's just advice."

"Crude advice, I'm sure," Shibi replied, his voice a bit darker in tone as he let out a small chuckle. Tatsuya scowled. Hinata's face heated further as a hand found her lips, her father frowning at the man in distaste. "And yes, the Aburame glare is quite powerful. I've made a few grown men pee their pants in my day, and I've seen Shino give the same glare a few times." He gently patted Shino's shoulder, the man rigid in his seat. "And that, of course, means that you've crossed the line and you need to back away, keep your line of sight up higher, and keep your mouth shut. Shino and Hinata are quite close...despite their awkward interactions that you've seen today. They have only _just _been notified of their arranged marriage, so it's naturally kind of awkward. Besides that, they've been the best of friends and teammates for years, defending one another, protecting one another...and now she's going to be his bride. And you were looking at her _awefully _hard..."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Tatsuya snorted. They all noticed that he kept his eyes adverted from her, despite his disrespectful tone. "I won't do it again." Hinata noticed that Domeki was hiding an amused smirk and his fiancee gently nudged him with a scolding look on her pretty face. "Besides...I wouldn't want to _help _you with your wedding night and your 'blissful' days to follow." His white eyes caught Shino's, almost challenging him to come back at him. Hinata went crimson. "Virgins are so clueless..."

"At least I'm not as loose as _you _are," Shino snapped back at him, his brown eyes flashing behind his shades. Hinata shifted uncomfortably at both the topic and Shino's sudden flare of anger. She'd only seen Shino _really _angry a handful of times...and he was getting to that point. It made her nervous... "I would prefer to be a virgin to the day I die than to be promiscuous like _you_." It was said out of anger, but Shino meant it. Hinata knew it as well as he did and she respected him for it.

"Hey, I don't want to be tied down," Tatsuya shrugged nonchalontly.

"You're afraid of commitment, more like," Shino shot back at him. Tatsuya's eyes flashed with anger before he calmed, a smirky smile crossing his face. Hinata looked at him warily.

"I'll bet _you'd _test the waters, too...if a woman would have you," Tatsuya came back, Shino stiffening as he felt it coming. "But the poor, poor Aburame are too scarred and ugly to get a girl. _That's _why you hide behind your coats, right? I've heard the stories...you guys are scarred, ugly, bug-loving freaks, and those are all things that _real _women hate." Shino's hands clenched his pants tightly as the blow stung more than he was expecting it to, his eyes turning to the table. Shibi shifted a bit in anger and discomfort, Hiashi's eyes flashing dangerously at Tatsuya. Hinata felt the weight of the blow as it took its toll on Shino. The story from the night before made her all too aware of the way he must feel about his body and the reactions he got from normal people...how much it had to hurt... Her lavender-white eyes narrowed as she felt a calm anger boiling just beneath her skin. She hated it when people did this to him...and it wasn't the first time. "You have to wait for an arranged marriage to come around so that you can have a chance at a girl- one who is honor-bound not to run away. I feel sorry for Hinata-sama-"

"Enough," a voice halted Tatsuya in his tracks. Hiashi, Shibi, and Domeki had all opened their mouths to say something at about the same time...but the voice didn't come from them. They all looked back in mild shock as Hinata sat up straight in her bed, her eyes and face serious, the girl giving off a vibe of carefully controlled anger. Her eyes flashed, giving a tip-off that her anger was on the brink of being in a dangerous place...one that Shino had _very _rarely seen before. Shino's shades tipped up (honestly, he was pretty shocked that Hinata had spoken up...and she was dead serious...her tone gave that away, as well as the lack of stuttering) as he gazed at his bride-to-be, the girl narrowing her eyes at Tatsuya. "You've said _more _than enough, Tatsuya."

"You didn't use a suffix title," he pointed out, his voice showing the shock that his face didn't. (She _always _used titles for _everyone_! It was a widely known fact that even _he _knew!)

"I don't respect you," she replied shortly in a cool voice that made her father proud, Shino taking morbid pleasure in the shiver that shook Tatsuya's body at her tone and the hard look on her face. Tatsuya went as rigid as Shino had been only moments before. "You insinuate that Shino could be as loose as you are, but I don't believe he _would _be, even if he were a normal ninja outside of the Aburame clan. He doesn't have problems with commitment and loyalty." Tatsuya flinched at the verbal hit. "So Shino-kun has scars...so do I. We're not bothered with outward appearances- outer beauty is only skin deep." He flinched again at her blow at his obvious care for his appearances. "And while it's true that most girls don't like bugs...that doesn't include _all _of us. _I_, for one, don't mind them. Does that make me any less of a _real _woman?" Shino shifted a little, surprised that she would say something like that. If Tatsuya answered her in any sort of negative way, it wouldn't only be Hinata he would be dealing with...it would be Shino, Hiashi, _and _Shibi. The deep frown twisting Domeki's lips down told Shino that _he _would jump in, too. Tatsuya was screwed.

_'She...she saved me again_,' Shino noted idly to himself, feeling a little taken aback by his sudden thought. '..._Next time...__**I'll**__ be the one saving __**her**_.'

"I-I umm...I didn't mean-," Tatsuya stumbled and stopped as he realized his mistakes..._and _he realized that he had stumbled down into a deep hole.

"Then what _did _you mean?," Hinata asked, her tone patient and no-nonsense. Tatsuya tripped over his words for a moment before he went still and quiet, his frantic white eyes as blank as he could manage as he gazed at the girl across the table from him. He was obviously trying to think of a proper response, but he was finding that he didn't have a way out because of what _he _had said and the subtle, but straight to the point, come backs she had made.

_'She's like the flowing water of a river against a rock_,' Shibi realized silently, not really surprised as he looked between the two of them. _'The flowing water erodes the rock slowly without anyone noticing...until it's completely submerged beneath the surface of the water. __**He **__didn't even realize, until now, that he was drowning. ...Our little Hinata is as smooth and subtle as the river current... She's a physical representation of the Gentle Fist style, if I've ever seen one...she must have gotten __**that **__from her __**mother**_.' A small grin formed on Shibi's face as he caught the proud look in Hiashi's eyes. Shino seemed awe-struck (and he _was_, to _some _degree), his attention solely on Hinata. Shibi was rather awed, himself...it was the first time he had ever seen her stand up for someone before...and it was the first time he had seen her truly angry. Aggrivated, of course, but not angry...not until _now_.

"Say what you mean, mean what you say," Hiashi spoke sagely as Domeki cleared his voice.

"Sir," Tatsuya acknowledged the advice as he hesitated, turning to Domeki. "I'll leave the information for my contacts on your desk and everything else you'll need for this."

"You're not going to help me with this one?," Domeki asked, obviously shocked at his sudden backing out of the construction of the house. Shino and Shibi looked back up at the conversing men, mildly surprised at Tatsuya's cowardice. He never even answered Hinata... In fact, his line of sight completely avoided her...and _them_, as well, for that matter.

"No," Tatsuya replied shortly. "I've given you my resources, that's all you'll need. I...umm...I got another job offer anyway. I want to take it up while I still can."

"The one in the Land of Sand?," Domeki asked, taken aback.

"That's the one," Tatsuya bobbed his head in confirmation as he handed over the blueprints and all to Domeki. "Please excuse me." He bowed to the Hyuuga and Aburame at the table before taking his leave. _'Coward_,' Shino mentally berated, his anger tamed down but still whispering just beneath the surface.

"Well...I _do _believe I've never seen Tatsuya so humbled before...or lost for words," Domeki admitted aloud with a small sheepish smile. "I apologize to you on his behalf."

"It's fine," Hiashi waved off easily. "_This _time. Hinata dealt with him accordingly. Next time, he will be dealing with _me_." Hiashi's eyes flashed and Domeki stiffened.

"I don't think there _will _be a next time, sir," Domeki reassured. "More than likely he will help from behind the scenes, if at all. You probably won't see him again...unless you specifically summon him." Hiashi nodded his approval of that idea, all of them satisfied with it. Hinata let out a small, shaky breath as she let herself deflate a little, her anger ebbing away. "On that note, I must excuse myself to start the work on this house. I've got to call the owner of that plot of land..." Turning back to his fiancee, Domeki pecked her cheek. "I'll see you in a few days or so, if things work out."

"Mnn," Suzuna hummed softly. "I'll see you then." She pecked his cheek in return as he turned back to the group at the table.

"Please excuse me," Domeki bowed, the man recieving polite inclines of the head in return as he stood again and made his way out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Suzuna," Hiashi waved the woman forward. She stepped up to the table with a small, albeit a bit nervous, smile. "This is Suzuna, Domeki's finacee and our wedding planner. Suzuna, this is Shibi, Shino, and my daughter, Hinata." Hiashi wasted no time with his introductions, getting right back to business (and effectively ousting the awkwardness) as he pointed to each person and said their name.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Suzuna spoke in a soft but strong voice as she smiled at them and bowed politely. "Though I'm sorry for all of the trouble Tatsuya caused...he can be...well...a jerk, most of the time." Shibi gave a small half-chuckle as Hiashi lifted a brow. Hinata blinked in surprise and Shino's brows _both _lifted at the woman. She was...very forward.

"It's alright," Shibi put up a hand as though to wave it off. "He really _was _a jerk, but it was handled _quite _nicely by our hostess." Hinata saw him glance at her from the side of his shades and her face turned a dark pink again as she fiddled with her hands in her lap again. Shibi couldn't help a small chuckle at her modest and shy behavior, Shino giving a small hidden smile of his own. Hiashi sighed, his lips lifting a little at the edges. It was the only sign that he was proud of her, but a little weariness entered his eyes at her sudden bashful behavior. He was used to it, though he often wished that she would be a little more like she was when she was serious on a more daily basis. But...she was who she was and he had already learned to accept that...and _her_.

"I agree," Suzuna spoke pleasantly, Hinata's ears and face burning a little more. Hinata caught the smile inching across Suzuna's face as she looked at her and Hinata had to look away, embarrassed. "Alright, then...I suppose we should start our meeting if we want to get through with it within the next hour or two... It's going to take a while...wedding details are tedius." Suzuna opened her file folder with a curious smile on her face that made Hinata realize that she was saving her from more embarrassment. Secretly, Hinata was thankful.

"Indeed, they are," Shibi agreed as Hiashi gave an unsettled grunt of agreement. Hinata knew _some _things about weddings...but not much. Shino was even further in the dark than she was. Suzuna gave a small smile at the replies as she pulled out a clipboard with several papers attached.

"Alright...I'll start out with the same question I ask all of my clients," Suzuna smiled at Hinata and Shino. "Is there any specific theme you want for your wedding or color scheme?" Both of them hesitated, locking eyes somewhat shyly. Shino rose his brow in silent question, making Hinata fidgit. He didn't have anything in mind, but _she _didn't, either. He seemed to realize this the moment she started fidgitting, both of them on the same page. Both turned back to the patient wedding planner.

"Not really...," Shino answered softly, careful not to show his anxiety of this meeting.

"We umm...we only found out about our engagement yesterday...," Hinata filled in, her fingers restlessly twining together. "Besides the date, we don't have anything else figured out..."

"Ah...an arranged marriage?," Suzuna asked softly, compassionately. Hinata nodded slowly. "Well that's alright, we'll work things out here. This isn't the first arranged marriage I've handled- leave it to me." Hinata couldn't help but nod and smile at Suzuna's warm and reassuring smile; her kindness and handle on the situation was reassuring. Shino also gave a nod, glad that she could walk them through this...he was kind of clueless as to what to expect... "The date is June the twenty-first, right? Just to re-confirm."

"Yes," Hiashi confirmed with a nod. He and Shibi had already been through a meeting similar to this (when their own fathers has arranged their marriages to their late wives)- they were both butting out and letting the wedding planner do her job.

"Okay...," Suzuna nodded, looking over her papers quickly. She then set them down and went digging in her expanding file, pulling out a few cardstock pages with photos glued to them. "Seeing as you're having a summer wedding and you still aren't sure of the theme or color scheme, I'll show you a few weddings I attended and helped create with summer themes. There are pictures and magazine cut-outs to show what I used in the weddings...all four of them are themed differently, so look them over carefully and tell me what both of you like about the weddings- it'll help develop your wedding style."

"Umm...okay," Hinata nodded while Shino silently nodded (both blushing), Suzuna handing each of them two cardstock pages. Hinata looked over hers carefully, the girl surprised at the differences in the weddings and how beautiful they were.

The first wedding she had was garden themed, actually held in a flower nursery. There was a picture at the very top of the page with the couple (a beautiful girl with flowing light brown hair in an elegant updo and large, poofy, dress and expensive jewelry with a handsome young man in a tux) standing beneath a white arched trellis covered in climbing white roses, the aisles of wooden pews lined with beautiful white and sapphire-colored flowers. She could identify most of the flowers, but not all of them. (Her favorite hobby was pressing flowers and learning about them, so she knew a _lot _about flowers.) Hinata looked over the details of the wedding, amazed. There were tall ornate vases used in the reception that were alternating white and sapphire, branches inside the vases with climbing roses in white and sapphire grown through the branches. (The white roses were in the sapphire vases and sapphire roses in the white vases.) _'It must have been hard to put up all of those branches somewhere and grow the roses in them,' _she mused to herself, noting how they were trimmed to perfection as they stood proudly in the center of the tables. The reception was inside somewhere, the building a nice size. A glass and mirror chandelier (a seperate picture to the side, from a catalogue) hung from the center of the ceiling. Long white and blue alternating fabrics swagged up to the chandelier, showing off the high ceiling. She also noted the alternating table covers, blue and white, each cover the same color as the roses placed on each table. White chairs took residence at the tables and one table was set aside for presents, a book open on the table. Hinata blinked as she looked at a picture off to the side of the picture, showing a white closed book with 'Guest Signitures' embossed in gold on the front. Further down, there was a picture of the hardwood floors, a space set aside for the dance floor, and the couple was lighting candles together. To the side, there was a set of three candles with neat writing off to the side. _'Unity candles' _is what was written. Hinata had no idea what that meant, so she scanned the pictures again, resting her eyes on the picture where the bride and groom were feeding one another cake, both jovial as they ate the cake, laughter seen in their faces and their eyes. The cake, she noticed, was four tiers high and mainly white with blue and white flowers cascading down it- it was amazing! She'd never seen a cake like it...then again, she wasn't very familiar with how they did wedding cakes in bakeries. She didn't often visit a bakery, unless she was getting her favorite sweet snack- cinnamon rolls. So...she wasn't really familiar with any of that kind of stuff. She'd baked cakes before, but nothing fancy. Nothing like _that_. There were no other pictures, so she went on to the next cardstock.

The other wedding she had was a more traditional-styled wedding held in a church. The pews were decorated with white bows, simple decorations here and there. At the alter was the priest and the couple. (The woman was in a traditional white kimono and the man was in a matching white outfit with a haori and hakama. The man's hair was simply tied back about his waist and the woman's hair was in a more elaborate updo with pins, a large one holding her hair in place, as well as her veil. Hinata's mother and father had dressed the same way for their wedding, and she had a picture to prove it.) It was a simple wedding and Hinata kind of liked the simplicity of it. The next picture was of the reception, the couple surprising her as they were in different outfits- not traditional outfits at _all_. The bride was in a shorter dress, like a party dress, and it was white with a yellow ribbon just beneath her bust that tied in back. The groom was in a white button down shirt and black cargo shorts that reached his knees. Both were wearing flip flops. The reception was at a beach, beneath a covered area that was meant for parties and cookouts and such. It was decorated with white table cloths over the long tables and small white pots filled with sunflowers, daisies, and a couple of other yellow flowers that were hard to see. Another picture showed the tables lined with small candles around the bright flowers, silverwear and plates, and icicle lights hanging down from the edges of the roof. A small table was set aside in the background for gifts. A pail sat off to the side, a picture aside of the picture showing it was a pail full of flip flops with _'favors' _scribbled off to the side. Another picture showed a grill out and the guests in less traditional clothing dancing on the dance floor. The last picture was of the wedding cake, a three tier white fondant cake with bright yellow fondant sunflowers here and there on it, the top a sandy color, a replica of the couple made in plastic standing at the top in bathing suits, the woman with a veil and the man with a tie. It was kind of comical.

Shino was slightly nervous as he looked over the pictures he had, the first a beach side wedding. The aisles were marked with a row of white flowers on each side, what looked like leis draped over the white fold out chairs. At the end of the aisle was the couple and a priest, the woman in a long white dress, a flower pinned in her hair, and the man stood at her side in a tux. Shino realized something in that instant- he would be wearing a tux or haori (depending on how formal the wedding was). No high collar. That frightened him a little. Shaking it off, he continued to look over his pictures, ignoring that detail for now. The main aisle was covered in white rose petals, he idly noted, and the beach in the background was rather soothing. The next picture was of the reception, little round tables shaded by large white umbrellas scattered about in an organized manner out at the same beach. White fold up chairs were scooted to the tables, a small flower arrangement in the middle of the tables with four candles around each arrangement. He thought he saw a lily in the arrangements, but he wasn't sure...they were colorful, but that was all he _was _sure of. Hinata was _much _better at identifying flowers than he was. He knew a few of the rarer flowers, but that was because his bugs liked them. Roses were common and he knew of wildflowers and peonies because they were native to the area...but that was about it. Looking at the next picture, he noticed that there was a driftwood dance floor made off to the side, the surface sanded and polished to perfection. The next picture was of the couple feeding one another a bite from the cake. He had to push down his embarrassment of the thought that he and Hinata would have to do that one day, and he looked more at the cake than the couple. The white cake was three tiers high and it had a bouquet of colorful fondant flowers on the top, less noticeable white decorations made down the rest of the cake. The last picture had all of them in their bathing suits getting into the water. _'Not happening_,' he thought to himself as he quickly switched to the next cardstock paper.

This wedding was a little more traditional, held in a large building of some kind...it looked rather old (it wasn't a church), the large stone walls telling him as much. The aisles had large dark wooden pews, large, tall, white vases set aside each pew with large white flowers coming from the tops of them. At the front stood the waiting couple, the two standing hand-in-hand. The woman was in a lacy white gown with her hair pulled back into an elaborate bun. The man was in a more traditional tux. Shino idly noticed some white material draping up on the high ceiling. He glanced at the next picture, seeing the couple (seemingly still in the same building, but in another room) dancing on the dance floor. The dance floor was large with a circular pattern rippling from the center of it. Tables were set on either side of the middle of the floor, the tables draped in burgandy cloth coverings, large candles sitting in candlabras in the center of the tables. The lights were low, the candles setting the mood to a romantic feel. (He probably wouldn't admit aloud that he liked the romantic feel of it, but he would admit it silently to himself.) White lacy curtains decorated the room, but not much else. He liked the elegant simplicity of it. Next was a picture of the wedding cake. It was five tiers high with burgandy fondant flowers and pearlescent white designs on the different tiers, white pearls seperating them. There were other little pictures to the side of the candlabras and such, but he didn't pay much mind to it. He glanced over at Hinata (albeit a bit hesitantly), noticing that she seemed to be done looking at hers, glancing from each one to the other. He also noticed that the ones she held were different than his.

"Want to trade?," He asked softly, catching her attention. He offered his up as they both felt their cheeks heating again, Hinata looking over his sheets and nodded. They traded cardstock and looked over the different weddings.

Meanwhile, Shibi and Hiashi traded a look across the table, Suzuna merely sitting patiently with a small smile on her face. Both men noticed a hint of nervousy in the other. Hiashi raised a questioning brow at Shibi, making the Aburame sigh.

"You're going to let them do this how _they _want to, aren't you?," Shibi asked quietly, making sure the two were still absorbed in the pictures, and they were. "Traditional or _not_?" Hiashi snorted, though inwardly he was a little upset with being found out so soon (he _wanted _the wedding to be traditional...but he had to acknowledge the fact that it was the two's choice, _not _his)...then again, Shibi was rather good at figuring him out. Shibi had been worried since early that morning about this- Hiashi attempting to dominate the wedding and make it all traditional.

"It's their choice," Hiashi replied, his voice a tad strained when he whispered it to Shibi. He crossed his arms over his chest and prayed that Shibi didn't see how much he was struggling with this. Shibi, on the other hand, gave a hint of a smirky smile.

"It sure is," he agreed. "They're starting a new life and a new clan together and it is _their _decision." He knew Hiashi was suffering, but he wouldn't rub it in his face...not _now_, at least.

"Hm," Hiashi replied simply with an incline of his head. He didn't like it, but it couldn't be helped. Suzuna's smile grew a tad nervous at the exchange. It only took a moment more for Shino and Hinata to finish looking over the pages, and Suzuna was quick to notice.

"All through?," She asked expectantly.

"Mnn," Hinata nodded, Shino mirroring the movement.

"Good...let's talk about what you liked and didn't like about those weddings, just to get a feel of what you like and don't like," Suzuna started gently. "We'll start with Hinata-sama and go back and forth until we cover everything. Alright?"

"A-Alright," Hinata nodded, a bit nervous at being called out first. Shino nodded, giving her an idle reassuring pat on the hand that made her blush a bit more. He hadn't really realized what he had done, setting the pictures on the table and motioning for her to do the same. She did it quickly, catching on that she could look at all of them this way and more easily answer Suzuna. This didn't go unnoticed by Shibi, Hiashi, and Suzuna. The older woman just smiled warmly at the affection while Shibi raised an amused brow and Hiashi raised a mildly surprised brow. Hinata looked up at Suzuna and she gave an encouraging look for her to go ahead and talk. "Umm...well...I like...how simple some of them are..."

"The two more traditional wedding pictures?," Suzuna asked knowingly.

"Mnn," Hinata nodded, not noticing her father's slight relaxing of his posture. Shibi smiled secretly within his high-top coat, smirking at his old friend's slight relief.

"Alright...," Suzuna nodded cheerfully. "So you prefer more clean and simplistic weddings?" Hinata nodded somewhat quickly. "How do you feel about this, Shino-san?"

"Less is more," Shino spoke, verbally agreeing with Hinata. He was relieved that they were on the same page, but he _should _have realized that they would be. They liked a lot of the same things, so it probably wouldn't be as hard as he originally thought this would be...just kind of embarrassing. Hinata gave a small smile as their fathers nodded a little, happy that things were going well thus far.

"We're in agreement, then, great!," Suzuna replied enthusiastically as she took a pen from her clipboard and clicked it open. She scribbled something in the margin. "Shino-san, what is something that _you _like from those weddings?" Shino looked them over a moment. The simplicity was what he was planning to say, so he had to come up with something else. After a moment, he answered.

"I like the idea of having the ceremony outside," he spoke, not surprising Hinata or the other two in the least.

"Okay...Hinata-sama?," Suzuna nodded approvingly.

"I think that would be nice," Hinata nodded thoughtfully, making Suzuna smile broadly.

"Two for two," she spoke happily as she scribbled something else on her paper. "Alright...a quick question. Would you two be against the idea of having an indoor wedding should something happen? Like a surprise thunderstorm, or something like that." Shino and Hinata looked at each other, Shino noticing the frozen blush on her cheeks as she gave a slight shake of her head, saying she didn't mind. He didn't either, honestly.

"No, we don't mind," Shino spoke up on their behalf, Hinata smiling easily beside him. "We know that the unexpected can occur."

"Okay," Suzuna nodded jovially as she scribbled something else down on her paper. "I'll have a backup plan by then, just in case." She finished scribbling before looking back up at them. "Hinata-sama, your turn."

"Oh, um...," Hinata started, looking back at the pictures. It took her a moment to answer, her blush heating up a bit. "Well...I...I like the feel of this one." She held up the page that Shino liked, the one with hardwood floors and the simplistic designs, white lacy curtains at the edges of the room and candlabras on the tables.

"Ahh," Suzuna smiled widely. "Yes...that one kind of gives a...romantic feel about it, doesn't it? With the low lighting, lace curtains, and elegant decorations." Hinata could only nod, feeling even more embarrassed as she put the picture down. The fathers weren't surprised, and Shino was only a _little _surprised. "So...a low-light romantic theme for the reception? Indoors or at dusk...does that sound good to you, Shino-san?"

"Mnn," Shino merely nodded, not willing to voice that he actually quite liked that idea.

"Yay!," Suzuna cheered. Obviously she wasn't used to such cooperation from the joining couples. "Would you like to do the reception at dusk or inside?" She looked between the two of them, Shino and Hinata looking back at one another. This time, Hinata seemed to be undecided, looking up to him for an opinion.

"Would you like the reception inside or outside?," Shino asked Hinata, his voice soft, hushed. She thought about it a moment.

"How about having it inside?," she asked softly. "Since we're having the...ceremony outside?" He nodded, seeing her eyes flicker to the side uncertainly. He raised a brow, moving slightly as he did it to catch her attention. Hinata hesitated slightly before answering. "I kind of like the idea of doing it later, too, though..." Shino nodded, quickly coming up with something to say.

"Why don't we have the ceremony at twilight?," he asked, making her blink at him in surprise. "Then, by dusk, we can be inside the reception area and light the candles so it has the same effect." Her eyes lit up and he knew that she liked the idea; he felt proud of himself. With an approving nod and small smile to Shino, both of them turned back to the three others at the table. Shibi and Hiashi were a bit curious of the soft, unheard conversation between the two. Shino raised his voice to a normal level. "We want to have the reception inside."

"Alrighty, then," Suzuna nodded acceptingly as she scribbled it down on her paper.

"And we would like to have the ceremony at twilight so that we can achieve the same effect as the ceremony pictured," Shino spoke up, surprising the wedding planner almost as much as the fathers.

"Okay, that's _great_," Suzuna nodded, scribbling again on her page, eyes bright at that. "I was going to ask about a time; that's two birds with one stone." Shino noticed his father turn to him, brow raised. He pointedly ignored the older Aburame and kept his eyes on the wedding planner. "Okay, then...is there any more points that either of you like before we start getting to the more knitty gritty details?" Both Shino and Hinata turned their eyes to the sheets again at the question, Suzuna cheerfully watching them. Slowly, they both looked up and shook their heads, both unable to think of anything else to say. "Alright, so this is what we've got so far: the wedding will be June twenty first at sunset- outside- the reception will be inside and the overall style of the wedding will be clean and romantic. Let's get to the first big issue now- I need you two to tell me how formal you want your wedding to be. Traditional styles range from kimonos and that sort of garb to the long flowing white western-style dresses and tuxes you saw in the pictures. Less traditional styles range from shorter, less traditional dresses and suits to nice casual day wear. You could make the whole thing formal or casual, or you could even do like that one pictured wedding and do a super formal ceremony with a casual reception. The choice is yours."

"Could I say something before this goes much farther?," Shibi asked suddenly, surprising everyone in the room.

"Sure, go ahead," Suzuna spoke softly, encouragingly. Shibi nodded to her politely before turning back to Hinata and Shino and speaking.

"I want you two to keep in mind that whatever you do will set the tone for the clan that you're starting," Shibi warned gently, surprising the two more and making Hiashi curiously raise a brow. "If you have a strict formal wedding, it will be more like the Hyuuga clan. If you have a less strict but still formal wedding, it will be more like the Aburame clan. We want you to do what you want, but keep that in mind, too. It might be a good idea to find a nice balance between the two, so that one doesn't overpower the other...do you get what I'm saying?" Suzuna looked a little less enthused about what he said.

_'It's not a bad idea...and it will keep our relatives off of our backs_,' Hiashi mentally agreed with Shibi with a slight bobbing of his head. Shino and Hinata were a little more surprised as they thought it over a moment, dark shades meeting white-lavender eyes. Hinata gave an almost imperceptible nod of approval, Shino nodding back to her in agreement and understanding.

"We understand," Shino replied simply as they turned back to Shibi. If the wedding was too strict, the Aburame would get edgy...

"We want things to be fair...and we don't want anyone to fight...," Hinata added softly, slightly worridly. If the wedding was too casual, the Hyuuga would start making a scene...

"Good...I'm glad that you both understand that," Shibi secretly smiled at the two, his tone hinting at his pleasure of their understanding. "Sorry, Suzuna-san...you can take it from here." Shibi glanced back at the wedding planner. She seemed a little surprised, but she quickly got over it, bouncing back to her chipper persona.

"Alright...," Suzuna spoke up. "So a formal, but not overly formal, ceremony and reception. One more issue that pertains to the formality of the ceremony and reception- do you two want to wear the more traditional garb? We could do a western dress and tux set or Hinata-sama in a kimono and Shino-san in a tux..." She gave them a minute to think about it, both a little thrown by her sudden question. Shino turned back to Hinata. She felt his eyes on her and she turned back to him, nibbling her lip nervously. His eyes settled on her lips a moment before snapping back to her eyes- he was glad that his shades hid his eyes. Shino tried not to let his eyes linger again on her innocent nervous habit, feeling odd that it bothered him now, along with the sight of her lips.

"Shino-kun?," Hinata asked softly, making his heart jump. _'What the hell is wrong with me_?,' Shino thought silently, unused to the strange light-headed and anxious emotions he was feeling. _'She's just asking about the question that Suzuna asked...what was that again_?' He searched his fuzzy brain a moment, making Hinata blink at him and cock her head to the side in curious confusion at his lack of response. It hit him suddenly, the question returning to him.

"I think it would be better if I wore a tux. What do _you _want to wear?," he asked her softly in response, glad he remembered Suzuna's question. "Whether you choose a kimono or a western dress, I think it will please your clan. It's _your _choice." Hinata slowly nodded, the indecision in her eyes clearing up a little. She debated a moment more, bringing a finger to her lips and tapping her bottom lip tentatively. Shino averted his gaze to avoid another awkward moment.

'_I __**could **__wear a kimono_...,' Hinata internally debated, unaware of Shino's discomfort and inner turmoil. '_But they are __**so **__hard to put on...and they come apart so __**easily **__if it isn't tied correctly...' _Her cheeks took a rosy hue as she remembered the last time she had attempted to don a kimono- it was a year ago, and she had barely walked a foot from her doorway when it fell apart...right in front of Neji. It was a silent agreement that they didn't talk about that incident. (She used to wear kimonos when she was a child, but someone else always secured them for her...so she never learned how to do it, herself.) _'I've always liked the western wedding dresses...they don't come off quite __**that **__easily_...' With that last thought, her mind was set. Nodding once decisively to herself, she looked back at Shino, catching his attention again.

"I think...I want to wear a western-style dress," Hinata spoke softly, getting a nod from her best friend and finacee. He was only slightly surprised at her decision, but glad for it- it was a common ground between the two clans and it wouldn't raise any issues. They turned back to the curious three. "U-Umm...Shino-kun wants to wear a tux..." Suzuna nodded understandingly as Shibi bobbed his head knowingly. "And...I want to wear a western dress." Hiashi raised a brow, his arms tightening across his chest. She knew he didn't like her decision, but she didn't want another incident like the one a year ago, _especially _not at a formal event in front of their friends and family. No...she'd suffer _any _argument for her decision later. She absolutely positively was _not _wearing a kimono to the ceremony.

"Alright, then," Suzuna nodded as she scribbled their choices down. "I will have you both go out at seperate times to get your tuxedo and dress, with myself and your best maid and best man at the fitting. Your fathers can go, if they are available and if they want to." She gave a reassuring look to each man. Shibi nodded approvingly, but Hiashi nodded with hesitation. Suzuna turned back to the younger generation at the table. "The next big issue would be choosing a color scheme and a theme. The colors can be anything you want, I will leave you both to figure them out in a moment. For now, we will discuss the theme- we'll go with a more formal and romantic theme to go with what you've said you liked...it can be anything from a fairytale romance to a formal ball to something based on the relationship that you two already share. Is there anything from your relationship that you would like to incorporate? That will make it a little more intimate for the two of you, a little more special." Suzuna gave a smile as the two hesitated. It was hard to think about even the platonic relationship that they shared, especially now that it was being converted into a romantic relationship with or without their conscious consent. Both of them tried to ignore the discomfort they felt at the topic, Hinata flushed and Shino barely fighting a blush of his own back, and find something they had common grounds on that was lesser known...special. Hinata was a little surprised that she remembered something right off the bat, and it would make Shino a little more comfortable in the environment...she hoped.

"Ne...Shino-kun?," Hinata asked softly, gaining his attention.

"Hmm?," He hummed softly, curiously.

"Do you remember...the first day we met?," she questioned, her cheeks flaring up a darker, rosier shade of red. He couldn't help the slight widening of his eyes as he remembered that day well- Team Eight had met for the first time, since their teams had been announced, and the three of them tried to get to know one another better, since they hadn't really talked to one another before that point. Kiba and Akamaru had left early, the boy irritated that Shino hadn't talked much and that Hinata was so shy. (Kiba had actually been a bit rude to her and had hurt her feelings and upset her, though Kiba hadn't realized it at that point in time.) Hinata had been a little afraid of him, her days turbulent with her father and she had _very _few people to talk to and she couldn't even really call them friends. Though kind, she was beyond shy, the girl almost downright terrified of close human interaction. But...he didn't know that back then.

**- Flashback -**

_"You're afraid of me," Shino spoke softly after Kiba had left and Hinata had edged away from him. He wasn't surprised- almost every girl he knew was terrified of him...not including those from his family, of course._

_"I-I-I-I...," Hinata stammered nervously, the girl shaking with the force of her fear. Her large white eyes rimmed in lavender turned away guiltily, he thought, her hands folded tightly together at her chest. She hadn't met eyes with him __**once **__since they started talking..._

_"I won't hurt you...and neither will my Kikkaichu," Shino spoke, his monotone in place as well as his indifferent mask. He secretly hated it when people disliked him because of his bugs, but he was getting used to it..._

_"I-I-It's n-not t-that," Hinata stammered out, her wide eyes nervously glancing back at him. "I-I don't m-mind bugs..." That had honestly surprised him and caught him offguard._

_"What is it, then?," he asked, curious but hiding it behind his solemn facade._

_"I-I-I...," she stammered nervously, wringing her fingers anxiously._

_"Yes?," he asked when she didn't continue. She looked away, a rosier hue painting her cheeks._

_"I-I don't h-have friends," Hinata mumbled out so fast he almost couldn't comprehend what she had said. It made him blink in surprise. "A-And I...I d-don't i-interact w-well with o-others...I-I just g-get so n-nervous...I-I'm s-s-sorry." She closed her large doe eyes, tears glistening at the corners. That shocked him. This girl...she wasn't afraid of him because of his Kikkaichu or because of who he was...it was because she was nervous around others and she didn't have any friends to socialize with. (The __**Hyuuga heiress**__, of __**all **__people!) She would have acted this way with __**anyone **__else...she was treating him like she would __**anybody**__. That sparked a small warmth in his numbed heart (a heart that had been deadened since his mother's death) and caused him to like her more than he had only moments ago. She wiped at her eyes with the ends of her jacket and Shino found himself in a very awkward predicament that he realized he had __**very **__rarely been in. __**'She's crying**__,' he noted silently, the foreign emotion of panic eating away at him as she kept wiping at her eyes, the tears continuing to well and overflow. His Kikkaichu buzzed at him irritatedly for his anxiety, but he ignored it for the moment- he had more pressing matters to attend to. __**'How do I make it stop...?' **__After wracking his brain for a moment, something came to him._

_"It's fine, Hinata-chan," Shino spoke in what he hoped was a soothing voice, the girl hiccupping as she looked back up at him. Her face was flushed and her hands paused at either side of her face, one higher than the other. It reminded him of a scared child...and, dare he admit it? She actually looked kind of...cute. (That was __**definately **__something he wasn't used to thinking...a __**girl**__...__**cute**__? Weird.) He fought down his own blush as he attempted to concentrate on the bugs nearby, searching for a specific species. "That isn't something that you should apologize for...you just need more practice. Like with ninja training." She blinked her large eyes at him, her long black lashes wet with her tears. A light shined in her eyes that wasn't present before...an understanding...a hope. "I'm not very good with human interaction, either..." It was embarrassing to admit that as he turned his gaze to the side, more than glad for his high-top jacket and shades. A whisper echoed across his mind and he knew he had found what he was looking for. "But...I'm willing to try." He turned back to the stunned girl, moving his hands straight in front of him and holding them out, palms up. The question formed on her face, but before she could ask what he was doing, a butterfly flitted up to his hands and swiftly landed. Its large blue wings with black edging and spots amazed her, her eyes instantly alight with wonder. "Friends?" _

_"R-R-Really?," she asked softly, her insecurity seen as plain as day. He nodded. Her reaction was slow but sure as her entire face lit up and a smile slowly unfurled across her pale face. "Mnn." Hinata hummed with a quick nod as she raised her eyes to his for the first time since they had met, her brilliant smile radiating her innocent unadulterated joy. He blushed. "Friends."_

**-Flashback End-**

"Yes...," Shino answered softly, holding down another blush as he looked at Hinata curiously from behind his shades. How could he forget? She was the first person to ever sway him like that...the first person he could relate to, and his first official friend outside of his family. Kiba and Akamaru followed soon after that, after Kiba apologized to Hinata for hurting her feelings and tried again to speak with her. Kiba was surprisingly more patient that next time (that was probably a product of asking his older sister, Hana, for advice) and he was rewarded for it, Hinata talking more with him and trusting him. That day was just as meaningful to Hinata, the girl overly stressed and overworked (because of her father's brutal training) at the time.

"How about...if we incorporated butterflies?," Hinata asked hushedly with a rising blush, her fingers tangling together. Shino blinked at her in slight surprise...that would most _definately _make the event more personal for them. Did it make him a little uncomfortable to have such a personal thing at a public event? Undoubtibly. Was it good for them, thinking of them in terms of their platonic or romantic relationship? (Even though the romantic aspect of their relationship wasn't _quite _in place yet...) Definately.

"Mmmm...alright," Shino agreed slowly, a little hesitant to give his consent. Hinata gave a small smile. "What will we incorporate them _with_? What sort of theme?" Hinata gave it a careful moment of thought.

"How about something nature themed?," She asked softly, glancing up at him for his opinion. He liked it, honestly, and it fit what both of them liked. They both liked the quiet outdoors, the serene natural environment relaxing to them.

"Hm," Shino hummed softly and nodded. "I think it's a good idea." Hinata smiled brightly, Shino having to look slightly to the side so _he _didn't blush...

"We've decided that we want butterflies incorporated into the wedding," Hinata spoke up, Shino looking back at the three others at the table. Shibi and Hiashi both seemed a bit surprised at that, but Suzuna was unfazed.

"Alright...would you want a specific theme incorporated with them?," she asked curiously.

"Something nature themed," Shino nodded, Hinata blinking at him, then smiling. He glanced at her and gave a small smile before turning back to Suzuna. Hinata was aware he had smiled, though she hadn't _actually _seen him smile, and it made her strangely giddy.

"Alright," Suzuna nodded, Hiashi and Shibi less surprised than _she _was this time. "Umm...the nature theme could go _several _different ways with the butterflies incorporated...but the addition of some kind of flowers would help it to be more cohesive. Are there any sort of flowers in particular that either of you like?" Shino's heart sank a little...this wasn't his forte. Hinata, on the other hand, perked up.

"Waterlilies," Hinata replied immediately. "They're my favorite flower."

"Ahh," Suzuna nodded sagely with a warm smile. "Those _are _quite beautiful. Shino-san? Do you have a favorite flower?"

"...Not really," he answered, making Suzuna laugh softly behind her hand. Shino raised a brow at her questioningly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," Suzuna smiled apologetically. "Almost _every _man I ask that question to gives that exact same answer."

"He's a typical man, then," Shibi spoke up teasingly, making Hiashi shake his head and Shino roll his eyes at him.

"I would say so," Suzuna nodded. Shino looked to the side as he heard a soft, muffled sound. Hinata had a hand to her lips, giggling almost silently, mirth gleaming in her eyes. Shino's brows rose, the man slightly surprised.

"Sorry, Shino-kun," Hinata replied softly, her smile bright but also apologetic. Part of him was slightly irritated at his dad, but he couldn't find it in him to be irritated at Hinata. She had _always _seen him as just another man, another _person_, afterall.

"It's fine," he shrugged off easily. She bobbed her head once in acknowledgement, the girl inwardly glad he hadn't taken offense to her stiffled giggle.

"Okay...getting back on track, are you alright with doing a theme with waterlilies, then, Shino-san?," Suzuna asked hopefully.

"Yes," Shino answered simply.

"Okay," Suzuna nodded cheerfully again, scribbling on the paper. "Since we're going with waterlilies, then we're going to have to incorporate water, as well. They can't live fully outside of water, afterall." Shino and Hinata nodded in unison as Suzuna seemed to think things over a moment. "Okay...going with what you have and the basic feel of what you want for the wedding...would you go for an overall theme of Serenity?" That caught them _all _by surprise.

"Serenity?," Shibi asked, voicing his surprise. Hinata's eyes lit up as she looked over at the younger Aburame. Shino was also pleasantly surprised with the concept of the theme as he glanced over at Hinata. He could tell that she was pleased, as well.

"We like the idea of it," Shino spoke as they both turned back towards Suzuna. "What have you got in mind?"

"I'm glad you like it and I'm glad you asked," Suzuna smiled, pulling out her file folder and riffling through it again. "I felt like this particular theme would fit the two of you because of the way you interact with one another- you seem to have a gentle relationship and a silent, intense understanding of one another- and I've also based the theme on what you've chosen and liked so far. Water and waterlilies give a more tranquil vibe, themselves. Ah! Here we go!" Suzuna smiled as she pulled out what looked like random pieces of magazine clippings, a page with an empty- but nice- room. "I was thinking of doing a water garden...I've done one before, but with different flowers and a different theme." Suzuna started arranging the pieces of paper around, a cohesive picture coming together before their eyes. "Visually, for the reception area, I was thinking of something like this- keep in mind it's just a vauge vision and it _can _be changed however you like...do you like it?" She swiftly finished her page and turned it around so that they could see.

The room had white paper lanterns strung elegantly around the room for light. Round tables sat strategically about with white coverings and natural wood chairs with ornate designs that were pushed into them. Atop the tables were plates, silverwear, and tall clear vases filled with slim tree branches with fake butterflies and white flowers here and there. The windows were covered in white lacy drapes, and the majority of the room was lined in wooden containers with water, waterlilies and lilipads, and an assortment of other plants (and, again, the fake butterflies) in it to make it look natural.

All in all, Shino and Hinata were both pretty impressed. She captured their style pretty well, considering they hadn't even spent a full hour together yet.

"Oh! I forgot! The lights would be out, so it'll be darker in the room...but I wonder if the lanterns would be bright enough...," Suzuna pondered aloud, gaining Shino and Hinata's attention. "Okay...okay, I got it! Picture strands of LED lights wrapped around the branches inside the vases and lining the wooden containers. We might put a strand around the dance floor, too, so you can see it..."

"Nice," Shibi nodded approvingly as Hiashi did.

"Simple but elegant," Hiashi commented, looking back at his daughter- her eyes were lit up, so he knew that she liked it...a _lot_. Shino even seemed interested in it, his brow lifted as he leaned in a little more. Shibi chuckled softly. Hiashi looked at him, a brow risin in question, but Shibi didn't answer him.

"That looks...amazing," Hinata nodded in agreement to both Shibi and Hiashi, liking the room immensely. "And the extra lights sound like a good idea, too."

"It _is _nice," Shino nodded approvingly. "But...that's a lot of white. There seem to be no other colors..."

"That's where change can come in," Suzuna beamed, happy that she did so well. "We need to come up with a color scheme to go with the wedding. You both like this, then? For the reception?"

"Mnn," Hinata hummed and nodded as Shino did.

"Alright, let me just make a note of this and I'll see what I can do when we secure a venue," Suzuna replied, scribbling on the page again. They gave her a moment of writing before she looked up again. "Okay...so...we've got a theme, the butterflies to make it a little more special, and we've pretty much mapped things out for the reception. What kinds of colors do the both of you like? We need to choose two to seven colors that mesh well together... Hinata-sama? Ladies first." She smiled as Shino gave a nod as the go-ahead.

"Okay...well...umm...my favorite colors are shades of white, black, gray, lavender, blue, silver, green, rose...and orange," Hinata spoke thoughtfully with a nod at the end of orange, signifying that she was through with naming her favorite colors.

"Alright...that's an...interesting array of colors," Suzuna nodded acceptingly. "Shino-san?" She turned to the Aburame expectantly.

"I like blacks, whites, grays, dark greens, browns, and blues," Shino answered promptly.

"More earthy tones, hm?," Suzuna asked interestedly.

"Yeah," Shino nodded.

"Alright...okay...hang on a moment...," Suzuna spoke, scribbling something down on her paper again. "Alrighty then...white is a given color and it will be used throughout. How about we use brown for the furniture and such, green for the plant life in the water gardens, blue is the water and we can do blue butterfly wings, curtains, and flowers, lavender alternating table covers- white is the other alternating color-, butterfly wings, and flowers, blacks and grays will be used here and again for things much like white will be, we can do a silvery glitter on the tables, and...a small splash of rose in the flower arrangements, mixing it with the lavender to blend it all together and give it a little more depth. Does that sound alright?" Honestly, Shino and Hinata were impressed that she was able to incorporate most of their favorite colors into the scheme. The only one left out was orange, and Hinata was secretly glad that it _wasn't _incorporated into the designs...that color always reminded her of Naruto. She didn't need to be thinking of _him _on her wedding day with _Shino_.

"Hmm...that sounds nice," Shino nodded, glancing at Hinata and noticing that she was also nodding.

"Very," Hinata added in softly, happily.

"Great! I'll write it all down here now...," Suzuna spoke as she scribbled away on the paper.

"You're _damn _good at what you do," Shibi commented, getting surprise and agreement from the others around the table. "You're a _lot _faster at creating a unique wedding and you're _much _more thorough than other wedding planners I've seen..."

"_That's _why I picked her," Hiashi replied smugly. "Besides the fact that she's engaged to Domeki." Suzuna gave a small chuckle at that.

"Cheater," Shibi shot at him, merely getting a raise of the brow and a smirk in reply.

"Now that the reception is in the clear, we should work on the actual wedding," Suzuna interrupted the would-be fight, slipping the magazine pieces and such into her file folder. She pulled out an outdoors area with trees in the background, pulling out more pieces of magazine cut-outs. "Would you want fold-out chairs, pews, or wooden benches?" Hinata and Shino shared a word before they decided.

"Wooden benches," Shino announced for the others to hear.

"Okay...," Suzuna nodded, pulling out four slips of paper. They were all wooden benches with backs, but they were all different, too. "We have the natural wood style, the upholstered benches that have a comfortable white outdoors material upholstered to them, the benches with vines and flowers strategically woven through them, and we have the benches with the more elaborate backing made of limbs from the trees they came from. Which do you like the best?" Ater a momentary discussion and agreement, Hinata and Shino decided.

"We like the one with the more elaborate backing...it's beautiful," Hinata answered, her eyes lingering on the intricate back of the bench.

"It really is," Suzuna admitted softly with a nod. "It's a new model of bench and it's quite popular." She pulled the bench aside and put the rest back in the bag, pulling out replicas of their choice bench for the scene. (Think Twilight. I know, I know...don't judge, okay? It actually had a beautiful outdoor wedding scene in the next to last movie, and it inspired me a little for _this _wedding.) "Let's use a white aisle runner _here_..." She put in a white aisle runner in between the two rows of the benches, the benches layered to show where they would go. "How would you feel about foilage surrounding the main area to keep the wedding intimate, in a way?" Hinata looked back at Shino, the man shrugging as he looked back at her. She raised a brow in question.

"Sounds alright with me," he verbally voiced his opinion.

"Okay...I kind of like it," Hinata bobbed her head once as he did. "It will keep it private from prying eyes, too..."

"Hmm," Shino nodded, liking the idea a little more. "That sounds good to us." He turned as he spoke, so that Suzuna knew that he was talking to her.

"Okay...," Suzuna nibbled her lip as she set the foilage hedging around the area carefully. It was really starting to shape up. "Would it be okay to try and find an area with a little pond or something of the like about _here_...so we can more easily carry the theme from ceremony to reception?" She pointed to an area close to where Hinata and Shino would be standing.

"Isn't that a little close?," Shibi asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"A little," Suzuna admitted. "But it's not easy to do this here on this page...we can always back the chairs and everything back a little so everything isn't so near to it at the site. And...why don't we put a white trellis archway at the front so we can see where Hinata-sama and Shino-san stand. It will be far enough away from the water and it will be beautiful, too. We can decorate it with all of the flowers we talked about before...does that sound okay to you two?" She looked up at them, waiting for their approval or dismissal of the idea. Hinata instinctively turned back to Shino.

"Will it be too much?," Hinata asked softly, Shino thinking on it a moment.

"I don't think so," Shino answered thoughtfully, shaking his head. "It may seem so standing near to it, but I think it might be better to have it so we don't venture too near to the edge of the pond. I would worry about stepping about the edge and sliding in..."

"Me, too," Hinata admitted thoughtfully. "Okay..." She turned back to Suzuna. "It sounds good to us- we wouldn't accidentally want to loose our footing and fall into the pond... We think it sounds like a nice idea."

"Alright," Suzuna replied enthusiastically. She added in the trellis arch easily and looked at the picture a moment. "Okay...I think that the ceremony area is finished. How do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," Hinata replied as she looked at the picture. The more she took it in, the more she liked it.

"Hm," Shino nodded in agreement.

"Okay; let me write this down and a major part of this process will officially be over with," Suzuna responded, scribbling again on her pages. Shino couldn't help but sigh in relief- they were almost done! Although the meetings weren't physically taxing, it was taking a toll on his mind. It was tiring thinking of all of this and all of the little details involved with it. Hinata wasn't any better off.

"How much more do we have to go over today?," Shibi asked curiously as he shifted in his seat.

"Umm...," Suzuna hesitated, looking through her sheets once, then again. "We still need to go over the guest list, music, wedding shower and rehersal dinner dates, the batchelor and batchelorette parties, invitations, vows, and photography. We need to make another appointment in a week or so, so that we can taste and create a menu for the reception, we can go cake testing- I can easily get an appointment to do it by then, and we can talk specific flowers and bouquets."

"And then?," Hiashi asked knowingly- it took a few appointments to get _everything _done. _He _knew from experience...

"And then...," Suzuna hesitated, looking over her list one last time. "We'll make one last appointment for all five of us. We'll go over who will be best man, who will be best maid, the brides maids and groomsmen, we'll go over venues and pick the right ones for the ceremony and reception, vows if they're being hand-written, music, and what's going on with wedding rings. From there, we'll have seperate meetings for Hinata-sama's dress and all that goes with it, Shino-san's tux, and the bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen tuxes. I'll check in periodically from there and anything left undone will get done." Hinata and Shino were a little shocked- they never knew just how much went into weddings...

"You're very well organized," Shibi noted aloud.

"I try to stay this way," Suzuna nodded in return. "It's better in the long run."

"Hm," Hiashi agreed.

"Okay...now let's set the wedding shower and rehersal dinner dates- those are easier things to set and we can put them on your invitations," Suzuna started up again, flipping to another page, her pen at the ready. "When do you want to do them?"

"Hiashi?," Shibi asked contemplatively as he raised his hand to the man. Hiashi thought a moment before replying.

"If you can remember...back when we were engaged to our late wives, we had our rehersal dinners a week from our weddings and it worked well for us," Hiashi spoke up. "I think we should go with that for the rehersal dinner. I'm not sure for the wedding shower, though..."

"True," Shibi nodded sagely to the first. "What if we do it a month beforehand? The shower, I mean? It gives plenty of time for people to get gifts and it's far enough from the wedding, so that the schedule with Suzuna-san doesn't get chaotic. Does that sound good?"

"Hm," Hiashi nodded approvingly. "It's fine with me. Suzuna-san?"

"Great," She nodded. "That will work great with the schedule, actually. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Shibi replied easily as she jotted something down on her paper.

"What times?," Suzuna asked. After a moment of thought and a silent conversation between Shibi and Hiashi, they had an answer.

"How about doing it at two in the afternoon for both of them?," Hiashi tried.

"Perfect. Okay, so that means that the rehearsal dinner is set for June fourteenth at two p.m.,, and the shower is on May twenty first at two p.m.," Suzuna repeated aloud. "Don't forget to get the days off." She pointed that mainly at Shino and Hinata, the two nodding understandingly. "Do we have any ideas for music...? Or do we need time?" One glance between Shino and Hinata and they had their answer.

"We're going to need a little time," Hinata admitted a bit sheepishly.

"We don't listen much to music- we usually don't have much time to do so," Shino added in.

"Completely understandable," Suzuna nodded, writing something quickly on the page she was on. "We'll get to it later, no big deal. What about a guest list? Do we have everyone we want for our guest list?"

"Yes," Hiashi nodded. "Shibi and I have both composed lists of family that want to come. Shino, Hinata, you need to list any friends you want to come here and now." Suzuna took a sheet of paper from Hiashi and Shibi, clipping them to the clipboard before turning back to the pair. They whispered about it a moment, both certain about who to invite.

"We want to invite Kurenai-sensei and her son, Kyota," Shino spoke, Suzuna instantly starting to add them to the list. (Kyota was the son of Kurenai and Atsuma, and he was currently seven years old and enrolled in the ninja academy.) "Kiba and Akamaru, Naruto and Sakura, Sai, Sasuke, Lee, Shikimaru, Ino, Chouji, Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-sensei, and Gai-sensei."

"Got it," Suzuna nodded a moment later as she looked the list over, satisfied. "Are these people all your close friends and teachers?"

"Yes," Hinata responded softly with a nod. "They have been our closest friends and teachers over all of the years that we've all been together."

"That's nice," Suzuna commented with warmth in her voice. Shino and Hinata nodded. "Okay...umm...vows. What about vows? Do you want to go with what the priest says or do you want to make your own?" Shino and Hinata discussed the issue- the vote unanimous.

"We want to go with the priest's vows," Hinata replied.

"Okay...," Suzuna scribbled on the paper before diving back into her folder. She pulled out a couple of sheets of paper, handing them to Hinata and Shino. "These are different styles of invitations. I want you to pick one and I'll go ahead and order them and get them filled out and sent off."

"Alright," Shino nodded, the two looking over the many invitations together and talking softly to one another. It took them a long few minutes to decide, but they decided on an off-white invitation with a koi pond and koi on it.

"Alrighty then...I'll give you another set of pictures now," Suzuna spoke, giving them folders of paper. "These are works of local expert photographers. They all have different styles, so talk and choose who you like. I'll record it and call them later today to get them set up with our wedding date." Nodding, they looked over the pages interestedly and debated until they had one they could agree on. He did playful pictures as well as formal pictures and he could mix the two with such ease and creativity that it really made them like him.

"We want Kurogane Kusanagi to be our photographer," Shino spoke up, the two handing the folders back, all the pages put back as they had been before.

"Excellent," Suzuna nodded, replacing them in her file before recording it on her paper. "He's a really great photographer."

"He seems to be," Shino replied with a bob of his head.

"One last thing," Suzuna noted as she looked back up at them. "Batchelor and batchelorette parties- are we going to have them?" Shino looked nervously back to Hinata, both a little wary of the subject and not wanting to have a party. Shibi seemed to sense what they were feeling.

"Oh _come on_...you _have _to have your batchelor and batchelorette parties!," Shibi gently encouraged. "That's your last night of being single- you can do whatever you want. You can go to strip clubs or kiss a stranger...or just walk around and shop with your friends or party with them." Shino frowned. Hinata wasn't fully convinced, but (thinking about the second half of what Shibi had said and ignoring the first half altogether) she was moved to say 'yes' to the party.

"You don't have to decide now," Hiashi waved off, surprising Shibi and relieving Shino and Hinata. "That can be decided at a later date, yes?"

"Mnn," Suzuna nodded. "Yeah." After a silent conversation between Hinata and Shino, they agreed to do it later.

"We want to decide later," Shino inclined his head to Suzuna.

"Okay, another day, it is," Suzuna spoke as she scribbled on her page. She neatened her items in her folder before placing the clipboard back in as well as her pen. "Alright. That's it for today, then. What do you all say we meet up again a week from today at nine a.m.?" Exchanging looks, Shibi and Hiashi nodded.

"Agreed," Shibi spoke up for both of them.

"Alright," Suzuna sighed with another warm smile. "Well, I'm going to get a jump on things and get done what I can get done. It was nice meeting all of you and it is a pleasure to plan your wedding, Shino-san, Hinata-sama." She bowed to them politely.

"It has been very nice to meet you, too," Shibi responded as he inclined his head to her and Shino and Hinata bowed politely in return.

"We look forwards to seeing you next week, Suzuna-san," Hinata replied cheerfully with a hint of a blush on her face as she returned Suzuna's smile.

"Me, too," Suzuna nodded as she stood. "Shibi-san. Hiashi-sama." With an incline of the head from both men and a bow from her, she was up and out of the room in mere seconds.

"This stuff is tiring," Shibi yawned and stretched.

"There is a lot more to weddings than one might realize," Hiashi agreed, standing. Shibi followed suit. Shino looked back at Hinata, the girl looking a bit out of it.

"Are you alright?," Shino asked softly, gently moving his large hand over her small one and squeezing it.

"Mmm," Hinata looked back up at him with a heavy blush and smile. "I'm just a little worn out, that's all." He nodded in acceptance.

"You should get some rest," he replied, Hinata sighing a little.

"Probably," she agreed.

"Time to go," Shibi announced, both parents looking back at their children.

"See you soon?," Hinata asked hopefully.

"How about tomorrow?," Shino asked, barely keeping the blush from his own face as she smiled brightly at him.

"I would like that," she nodded in response.

"See you tomorrow, then," Shino inclined his head as he gave her cool hand one more gentle squeeze before standing. Hinata smiled at him, watching as he went to stand by his father.

"See you later, Hina-chan," Shibi bid as he inclined his head. "Take care of yourself."

"Will do, Shibi-san," Hinata nodded in response as he gave a soft 'henh'.

"Hiashi," Shibi inclined his head.

"Shibi. Shino," Hiashi inclined his own head, seeing them out as Hinata stretched carefully and yawned. "You should get some rest." Hinata looked up at him wearily as he lingered at her doorway, Shino and Shibi leaving. "I will be in my study if you need anything."

"Okay, father," Hinata nodded, accepting that she was going to have to take a nap, though not happily. "Thank you." He inclined his head before he shut the door. Laying back on her pillows, Hinata allowed her weary eyes to shut and she was mildly surprised how quickly sleep claimed her...

After Hiashi showed Shibi and Shino out, the two went back to their home and piddled the rest of the day away, Shibi finishing his letters and sending them off, the two cleaning and finishing up grocery shopping. Shibi teased Shino for certain things he had said when they were with Hinata, and Shibi teased him about the way he had acted with her- kind of like a boyfriend. Shino brushed it all off and helped him make dinner, the two having a normal night after the hectic day they had. After supper, they watched a movie and then went to bed, Shino's mind filled with white weddings and his beautiful bride to be- his best friend...and soon to be lover.

_'Lover_...,' Shino sat up and pondered the word for a while, taking in the different meanings of it. Unlike his dad, his brain didn't automatically go to _sex_. He thought about living with Hinata (and he could imagine living with her now...because of the meetings, for sure) and being with her everyday. They would clean together and cook, read, write, and share afternoons just relaxing together, and evenings unwinding together.

It didn't seem so bad, actually.

He could picture it, the two sitting in chairs by one another and reading, one hand locked in hers and their other hands holding their books up. He could picture them cleaning house together and horsing around while they did it or making a game of it. He could see her at the stove as he came in from a mission and he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck as she welcomed him back.

It shocked him how he could accept these odd visions, feeling that they were right, in a way. It was easy..._too _easy. His heart raced in his chest and his stomach felt as tight and fluttery as it did when he was around her the last couple of days. Why? Why did he feel this way _now_? Why was it so easy for him to accept these feelings? Did some part of him deep down inside always like her like this? Why didn't he see it sooner? Was it because he simply never thought of her as anything more until this point? That she could never _be _more than a friend? He sat puzzling over these questions without answer as he slowly let his eyes drift shut, letting sleep claim him. As he drifted off, he couldn't stop the smile from lifting his lips as his thoughts wandered back to Hinata and the future life they had in store.

_'Maybe this won't be so bad afterall_...,' was his last coherant thought as he finally fell prey to sweet slumber.

- That's the end of this chapter! I hope you all liked it (I only had about a week and a half to work on it off and on and get it right! The ending was a little rushed, as you can probably tell... Xp)- I'll get my next one out ASAP!

- I drew out floor plans to the best of my ability and wrote them out as best I could...I hope I didn't confuse anyone. I'll see what I can do about drawing them out on paint and uploading them to my pictures on here so you all can see what I created. :)

- I think I'm going to work on the ending a little more and add more to it (I'm not really changing anything, just lengthening it a bit and adding a part with Neji and Hanabi) and add it next time I get a chance to post. So be looking out for the change next time I post! (I'll start with where Shibi and Shino go home towards the end. I wanted to give a reference point so ya'll aren't re-reading the _whole _thing. You can if you want to, I just thought I'd make it a little easier on ya. :) )

- Please Review!

- Again, I'm _really _sorry I wasn't able to get this story out on time...I wasn't given much time to work, but, working hard and fast, I managed to get a chapter of my other story done along with this one. It took a few late nights, but I got it done. It's shorter than I wanted it to be, but it will enable me to post more chapters up along with chapters of this story. Yay?


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